My Love
by KatPeeta22
Summary: When Katniss runs into Peeta in the street, she swears she knows him from somewhere. If only she knew where... This is like you're mine but better. I don't own anything.
1. Chapter 1

Lets be honest here. I keep writing stories and then deleting them. I'm not doing a sequel for you're mine because you guys will start to love it, and then I'll delete it. I'm not doing a sequel for life at boarding school without a father, either. So...I'm going to do a different version of you're mine, but this'll be much better, in my opinion. PM for questions.

I hurriedly switch out of my sports bra into my normal one, pull on my firey red tank top and my white short shorts, slide on my sandals and head out of work. I own Kat's sporting goods in Brooklyn, New York. I'm twenty years old, my best friend is Annie and her boyfriend Finn. Well, Finnick but I call him Finn. I graduated from business college earlier this year, I live in a two bedroom apartment the overlooks the city. It's very spacious and I love it. I live alone. I don't have a boyfriend. I did once but we never even kissed. So no, I have not had my first kiss. And it does t really bug me. I grew up in Kentucky with my parents and little sister, Prim. My cousin Johanna Mason, her Dad, Haymitch Abernathy. Her mom left them when Johanna was born and now Johanna has her mothers last name. She's my age and currently lives in Maine, I believe. I haven't seen her since graduation, because I let for college the day after that and then moved right here. I haven't seen any of my family, actually. It's been three years. Finn is like my brother and Annie is like my sister. Finn's parents are dead, along with her sister, died when he was sixteen. We've known each other since we were nine. We went to the same elementary school but didnt talk till third grade. The three of us became instant best friends I have a car, a jeep wrangler, to be exact. It's in the shop. I don't know why, because I know nothing about cars. Finn told me to get it to the shop so I did. I'm lucky Brooklyn, New York, isn't too large. I can walk wherever. I usually longboard, but I forgot it today. My iPhone 5 beeps and I pull it out. Finn: sup kitty Me: nothing. Just walking home from work. Finn: need a ride? Me: nah. I'd rather walk Finn: okay. Suit yourself I start to type in a reply when I slam into someone. It almost fall but the person grabs my arm gently, steadying me. I blink multiple times and then look at him. "I'm sorry. It was probably my fault." I say. He has curly blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. He smiles easily. "I was busy texting..." He trails off. I laugh nervously. "Me uh...me too." I say. As I stare at him longer, I start to get an overwhelmingly strong feeling like I know him from somewhere. "Do I know you?" I finally ask. "You just took those words right out of my mouth." He says. It's his eyes. I've never seen that blue before. It's sapphire mixed with a bit of white, making it lighter, goldfish streaks in them. It's lighter on the outside of his iris, darker on the inside. I definitely know him. I just can't put my finger on it quite yet. I shift uncomfortably on my feet. "Um...I'm Peeta Mellark." He says slowly, looking just as confused as I feel. Even his name rings a bell. But where do I know him from. "Katniss Everdeen," I say, shaking his hand. My phone chimes, rings, actually. I look down to see its my mother. "I uh...gotta take this." I say. He nods. "Okay. Well...nice meeting you. Again, I think." He says. I smile and nod and then press answer and start walking again. "Hey Mom," I say. "Hey baby girl." She says warmly. I haven't spoken to her in a week. I've been really busy. "I haven't talked to you in a while..." She trails off. "Yeah uh, sorry about that. I've been busy. With the store and the bills and then my car being stupid. I haven't really had the chance to get on the phone." I say. "Oh. What's up with the car?" She asks. "I have no clue. Finn says I needed to take it to the car place, so I did. It's been there for like six days and I have to walk home." I explain. "Why don't you call a taxi or something?" She asks. "Because, I would much rather walk. You know I love nature." I say, brushing my long, dark brown hair out of my face. My hair is long and wavy. And I mean long. It's down to about four inches from my butt. And I don't even want to get it cut. I love it long. "Yeah, I remember your father used to take you out hunting and on nature walks and taught you how to shoot a bow and arrow." She says. "Yeah." I say. "And the times Finn and Annie joined and learned a bit too." "Yeah." I can hear the smile in her voice. "So how are they? Finnick and Annie I mean." "The same, I guess. I dunno. I kinda miss them. I haven't seen them in a few days. I normally see them every day." I say as I step around a screaming child, who is mad at her mother for not letting her get a stuffed animal from build-a-bear. I get it though, why she didn't let her get it. Those stupid bears are thirty dollars. Little kids just don't understand. "Katniss are you depressed?" She blurts. I pause, confused. "Because Finnick and Annie think you are. They said you've been really quiet." She says. "No mom! It's just because I've been working." I say. "I'm perfectly fine, just busy, I swear." I say seriously. She sighs. "Okay. Alright I believe you." I smile a little. The Peeta guy is still tugging at my brain. I'm certain I know him from somewhere. "Mom?" I ask calmly. "Yes boo?" Boo. My childhood nickname that I can't seem to live down. "Do I know a Peeta Mellark. Because I ran into him today and he looks a little familiar and he's actually a bit cute. Well...sexy and a lot, not a bit. And he looks familiar, and his name sounds familiar." I say carefully. Yes. He's hot and I may have a teeny crush on him. So what? I'm aloud to like someone cute. Mom is silent. "Mom?" I ask after a few moments. "Uh..." She trails off. That's a yes. I do know him. And she knows exactly where. "Can I ask you a question?" She says finally. "Okay..." I'm so confused right now it's not even funny. "Well me and Prim and Dad and Uncle Haymitch and Aunt Kate, Uncle Aaron, Kaitlin, Lauren, Stella, Aunt Annabella, Uncle Bryon, Ethan, and Madison. We all miss you. We really, really miss you and Johanna and Finnick and Annie." She begins. Okay, Prim is my seventeen year old sister. Her real name is Primrose but she thinks its too pretty so she goes by Prim. She has blond hair and blue eyes. Them Uncle Haymitch, he's...a work of art. That's all I can say. Then there's Aunt Kate, Uncle Aaron, Kaitlin, Lauren and Stella. They all have dark hair except for Aunt Kate, Mom's sister. She's blonde. Kaitlin is eight, Lauren is 17, Prim's best friend and cousin and sister. They're so close. That's how Johanna and I were, but we're drifting apart. Lauren has dark hair and blue eyes. Almost everyone in this family has blue eyes. Haymitch is my dads brother. He has grey eyes, like Dad and me. Then there's Aunt Annabella, Uncle Bryon, Ethan, and Madison. Aunt Annabella is Haymitch and Dad's sister, she's got dark hair and grey eyes. Uncle Byron actually has red hair and blue eyes. Ethen is fifteen, he has floppy reddish hair and blue eyes. And Madison...well I've never met her. She's only two, and I haven't seen any of my family in three years. Oh and Johanna. She's my best friend, cousin and sister. Not really my sister but we're that close. She has short black hair, which she apparently gets from her mother. And she has really brown eyes, so she's one of the others that do t have blue eyes. I miss them too. A lot. "What are you saying, exactly?" I ask. She sighs softly. "Well it's June thirtieth. And we were thinking...maybe you and Finnick and Annie could come down to Kentucky for the Fourth of July. And then go home on...I dunno, the sixth." She says. "When do you want us to come?" I want to go. I miss them. "Tomorrow..." She says. I sigh and look up, realizing I'm at the cross road. The left side leads to my apartment complex and the right leads to Finn and Annie's neighborhood. "I'll uh...call you back." I say. "Okay. Love you." She says quietly, sounding extremely upset. "Love you too," I hang up and head to Finn and Annie's. Annie's white sedan is in the driveway, along with Finn's red ford truck. I walk right up to the door and walk inside. "Hey!" I shout, dropping my bag on the couch. Annie comes racing down the stairs, Finn coming out of the kitchen. "Hey stranger!" Annie says, hugging me. "Ew. It's you." Finn says, wrinkling his nose, faking disgust. I step away from Annie. "Nice try." I say. "So...kitty...why have you finally decided to show us you exist." Finn says. I roll my eyes. "Do you think you guys can get dd work from tomorrow through the sixth?" I ask. "Uh...I own the place. So yeah." Annie says. "I'll call Jake." Finn says. Jake. And Kate. They work at Starbucks. So does Finn. Annie owns some business. It's calling "Annie's productions" I don't even know what they do, but it makes good money. Finn dials Jake, his manager. Annie and I start to talk while Finn talks on the phone. "I saw this really hot guy today." I say. Both Finn and Annie's eyes snap up to mine. They want to me get a 'man' so bad. "Really?" Annie asks. I feel my cheeks hear up as I nod. "Thanks Jake." Finn hangs up. "I got time off. Now talk!" "Well uh...I think I know him, actually. He has curly blond hair and blue eyes that are so unique. They're sapphire but like mixed with a bit of white, so it's darker. Then there's gold flecks in them." I say. "He's got a six pack and he's really hot. But his name sounds familiar and he looks familiar too." I say. "It's his eyes, I'm positive." "What's his name?" Annie demands. I smile. "Peeta Mellark." I say. They both nod. "Did you get his digits?" Finn asks. I bite my lip and shake my head. "Kitty! What the hell!" Finn bursts while Annie shakes her year angrily. "No because then my mom called, which is actually why I'm here." I say. They both remain silent, waiting for me to continue. "She wants us to come down to Kentucky tomorrow till the sixth." I say. "Alright." Annie says, not thinking about it. "Okay." Finn adds. "So we're going?" I ask. They both nod. Finn doesn't say anything as he pulls out his phone. We're silent for a while and then he pockets his phone. "I got the tickets." He says. "Why! I can buy my own." I hiss. He rolls his eyes. "A 'thanks Finn' would be nice." He says. I roll my eyes. "Why did you tell my mom you think I'm depressed?" I ask. "Um well Mom called and it just slipped out." Finn says. Yes, Finn calls my parents 'mom' and 'dad' simply because his dad and mom were drunk druggies. His Dad raped and then murdered his sister and then both his parents overdosed. So yeah, he doesn't like to talk about it. "Okay. Well I have to go pack. What time are we leaving tomorrow?" I ask. "The tickets are for twelve and its an hour ride so we'll get in at one. We should get there an hour early so be here at...ten thirty." Finn says. "What about my car?" I ask. "We can get it." Finn says. "I forgot to tell you." I nod. "Okay, bye." I head for the door after grabbing my bag off the couch. "I'll drive you." Finn says. I don't bother to argue as he grabs his keys. Annie follows. We get in his car and he starts to drive. We pass my work. "Can you stop?" I ask. He knows where we're going, so he pulls into the parking lot. They follow me inside. It's open, but I got bored and decided to leave. It's Clove, Rue, Thresh and Linda working. Linda behind the register. I walk up to her. "Hey boss." She says. I smile. "Hey Linda." I reply. We all act like best friends. "Hey listen. I'm going out of town till the sixth. If there's any problems, call." I say. She smiles and nods. I wave at Clove and head back out. We get back in the car and drive to the car shop. "Thanks. I'll see you guys in the morning." I say. "Wait. I bought the tickets that you can put your car on the train so uh...you wanna bring yours?" He asks. I nod. "Alright." I say. I wave goodbye and then walk into the shop. There's a person behind the counter. "Um my car is done." I say. "What's your name?" The guy asks grumpily. "Katniss Everdeen." I say. He says something into a walki talki, completely ignoring me. A minute or so later, a man walks into the store. "Katniss Everdeen?" He asks. I turn around. He hands me my car keys.  
"It's all good." I paid before. I nod and walk out, getting in my green jeep wrangler and drive towards home. I remember something and hurriedly call Finn. "Hello?" He asks. "Finn I forgot. Don't tell anyone we're coming I want to surprise them." I say. "Don't even answer them if they call, tell Ann." I say as I pull into a spot right in front of the stairs at my apartment. I get out, grab my bag, lock the car and walk upstairs. I unlock the door and then drop my bag on the table next to the door and head into my bedroom. "Okay. I told her." Finn says. "Alright. See you tomorrow." "Okay Kitty. Love you."  
"Love you too." I hang up, plug my phone into charge, and then pull my suitcase out from under my bed. I never really got a hang of packing nicely, although I'm extremely OCD. I'm very neat. I can't let a little mess in my house without going crazy. Oh, and I'm ADD. It's naked it hard to focus on one thing and gives you a trillion different thoughts in your head at once. I have to take meds for it. I dump all my drawers into my suitcase, add my ADD pills, and then strip naked and walk into the bathroom, throwing my clothes in the hamper. I turn on the shower and step in. I lather my hair in my oak smelling shampoo and wash it out and then wash with coconut body wash. I shave and then shut off the water and get out. I wrap myself in a towel and then go back into my room, get a bra and underwear, pull them on and then walk into the kitchen and start boiling noodles. I don't normally wear clothes around the house. I get a cup and turn on the hot water. I fill it most of the way and then drop a tea bag in it, stirring the noodles while bouncing the tea bag up and down. The water quickly goes dark and I throw away the tea bag while dumping he noodles into the strainer and then back in the pot. I shut off the stove and then add sugar and milk to my tea. I pour ranch dressing into the noodles, mix them and then dump them in a bowl. I set my tea and food aside and then wash everything. I jog into my room and get my phone, which is fully charged. I have six unread text messages. I get my tea and noodles from the kitchen and walk out to the couch, setting everything on the coffee table and then sitting on the ground in front of it. I set my alarm for 9:45 tomorrow morning and then turn on Pretty Little Liars. I unlock my phone and go to the messages. One from Mom, one from Dad, one from Ethan, one from Jo, one from Lauren and one from Prim. Mom: boo...  
Dad: honestly are you depressed? Ethan: hey we haven't talked in a while Jo: hey bitch Lauren: hey kat Prim: are you gonna come? I can't answer them. I sigh and press home. I eat silently, taking occasional sips of tea. I get up and wash my bowl and tea cup and then put them in the cabinet where they belong and then lie down on the couch. It's dark now. I don't bother turning on the light. I double check he volume on my phone is on full blast and then lie down and turn back to Pretty Little Liars. In the end, it shows A stabbing one of the dolls. CeCe, no doubt. The roll had a black hood. That doll was CeCe, which means CeCe is gonna die. I roll my eyes and start the next episode. I start to get a bit tired and end up drifting off halfway through.

Yeah so PM for any questions. Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games -KatPeeta22 


	2. Chapter 2

My alarm is blaring. I groan loudly and sit up, switching it off. I run my hands over my face. The TV is off. I must have shut it off before I fell asleep and didn't even realize it. I yawn and stretch. I walk into my bedroom and get on some denim shorts and a white tank top that's skintight and looks like a bra. It's so cute and I love it. I slide on my sandals and head into the bathroom. My hair is so tangled. I groan as I take my brush through my hair. I brush my teeth and then take my toothbrush and hairbrush into my suitcase. I zip it up, put some raspberry lemonade onto my chapped lips and then walk into the living room. I shove my phone with only a screen protector on it in my back pocket, walk into the kitchen and down a bowl a cereal, wash it and put it away and then drag my suitcase out of my bedroom, dig my white sunglasses out of my bag, it's really a black purse. I put them on, get my keys and suitcase and walk out if the apartment. I pause and then jog back inside and get my phone charger and then go back out, lock the door and do downstairs, lugging my suitcase behind me. I throw it in the back of my car and speed to Finn's. I walk right in. My hair is wavy and down, as always. They're waiting in the living room. "I' shocked your not late." Finn says.  
I roll my eyes. My phone starts to ring and then stops and then chimes and then rings and then chimes and rings again. "Jesus Christ," I mutter, pulli f my phone out. I sigh. One calls from Mom, then Jojanna, then Prim. Mom: Katniss stop Prim: do you hate us Jo: fuck you I sigh and out it back I my pocket. "Let's go," We load the car up with their luggage and then Annie gets in the passenger and Finn gets in the back. They hate driving with me. I don't follow the speed limit. I think speed limits are stupid. If I can stop without killing anyone's there's no reason I can't drive as fast as I want. Finn's phone rings. He sighs. "Mom." He says. I speed down the street. I stop at a light and dig out some mint gum, popping some in my mouth and then giving a piece to Annie and Finn. "Where'd you get that shirt?" Ann asks as I put on deodorant because I forgot, of course. "Uh..." I look down. Oh yeah, that tank top like a bra. "Um I don't remember. Check the tag." I say. Finn checks the tag. "Hollister." My phone starts ringing. Johanna. "I have to answer. They're gonna kill me." I groan. I press answer. "Hey," "Brainless, what the fuck are you doing?" She demands. I cough. "Just about to get in the shower and then head to work-" "What! What the fuck!" A act clueless. "What are you flipping shit for?" I ask. "I can't believe you! We were supposed to come down! You didn't even call your mom back!" I sigh. "Shit. I completely forgot. I have rn even asked Finn and Ann yet-" "Fuck you." The line goes dead. I sigh and stop the car in a parking lot at the airport. "What do I do with this?" I ask. Finn doesn't say anything. He gets out a races inside. Yes. It's no lie right now when I tell you Finn and Annie have their own plane. They're kind of um...rich. Finn comes back out with his pilot. I get out and get my purse and phone and then hand him the keys. He gets in and drives off. I follow Finn and Annie. I've never actually been on their plane. "We don't have to wait. We just get right one." Finn says. He leads us through the airport and in a total of twenty minutes, we're on the plane, soaring through the air.

I don't remember where to go. We're in Kentucky in my car. "I forgot where to go..." I put my sunglasses back on. It slowly comes back to me. "Actually, I take that back." I say as I start to drive. It's about an hour away. Memories come flooding back. We stay silent the entire time, and before I know it, we're in my parents driveway. I shut the car off. "I'm freaking out." I mutter. I get out and softly shut the door. "Me too," Finn whispers. Annie nods. I leave everything but my phone in the car. I head up onto the porch and peak through the window. They're all in the living room. If we're quiet, they won't even see us. I smile a little and put my finger to my lips. They nod. I open the door and silently step inside. I was right. They didn't even notice me. I can't quite make out their conversation. "No!" Prim bursts. "I bet she forgot." Jo says. "She did. She said she did." Haymitch says. Finn silently shuts the door. I raise my sunglasses onto my head. "You guys really think I'm that forgetful?" I ask, laughing. "Katniss!" Prim exclaims, running to me, hugging me tightly. She hugs Annie and Finn. "Hey bitch!" Jo says, slapping me. I roll my eyes, used to her way of saying hello. Mom hugs me and Ann and Finn and then we continue to say hello. Then they proceeded to drag us onto the couch. "You hair is long." Mom says. I shrug. "Stand up," Jo orders. I sigh and stand up. "Damn. You need to cut this shit." She says. I roll my eyes. "I'm serious. If you straighten even a little bit, it's gonna be down to your ass." She says. "Yeah. You should cut it." Annie adds. "Why?" I ask, sitting back down. "Because its so long." I guess it is really long. "Doesn't it annoy you?" Lauren asks. "Sometimes, I guess." I say, shrugging. "Let me cut it." Mom says. I wrinkle my nose. "I don't know..." "Too bad. Your getting it cut." Then all the girls proceed to drag me up the stairs and into the bathroom. "If you guys cut it short, I'm gonna freak out." I warn. They all ignore me, blabbing. "So...did you tell everyone about Peeta?" Annie asks. Mom gets a weird look in her eyes, along with Aunt Kate and Aunt Annabella, but none of them say anything. "I uh...told Mom." "Who's Peeta?" Jo demands. "Sounds familiar." "I know! I ran into him yesterday. And he looked familiar and he sounds familiar." I say. "And he said I look familiar." Mom combs through hair hair. "There. That's so much better." I run my hands through it. It's about three inches above the middle of my back. "It's nice." I say. "Are you lying?" Mom asks. "No. I'm serious." I say. She nods and then drag me downstairs. We resume normal conversation. "So who is he?" Jo asks when we run out of things to say. She's smirking because she knows exact what she just did. "Who?" Dad demands. "Peeta." Jo says. "What's his last name?" She demands. I blush. "Mellark." Annie says. Dad coughs awkwardly, Haymitch's eyes are wide, along with all the other adults. Mom looks at Dad. They lock eyes and I see them both nod a little. Dad sighs and gets up. He comes back with my baby book, flipping to a page and the dropping it on my lap. All the adults watch me silently. It's me with a little boy. We're in the bath, in the pool, in the grass, smiling toothless grins, this goes from the day I was born to six years old. And at the top of the page, the words are unmistakable. "Katniss and Peeta." I mutter. Yes. I remember now. The memories come flooding back.

"Come on! Stop being such a baby! Jump!" I call. I'm six years old. Peeta and I climbed a tree. I jumped down and Peeta was left up there. His mom, and my mom are inside, screaming at each other. Our fathers are trying to get them to stop. Rye and Graham, Peeta's brothers. Rye is eight and Grahm is ten. They're playing nurf guns. Peeta jumps from the tree, landing next to me. "I did it!" He says, grinning, his blonde curls falling in the way of his blue eyes. With gold specks. Suddenly, Mrs. Mellark comes outside. "Boys. Lets go. We're leaving." Mrs. Mellark says. The three boys follow her.

That was the last time I ever saw him. I was six years old. Our parents were inseparable. Best friends. They got into a fight and Peeta and them moved out of the country. Peeta and I were best friends. I remember I cried for months. I didn't understand, I was just upset because I couldn't see my best friend. I never saw him again. I remember I was so upset up until I was nine years old and I met Finn and Annie. I completely forgot. "He's one year older than you. You guys were best friends. You were like siblings and were constantly together. And then one day, I got intoa fight with Peeta's Mom, Renee Mellark. She moved, taking Peeta, Rye and Graham with her. His birthday is October 12th. So right now, he's only twenty, just like you." Mom whispers. Is it bad that I'm pissed? They got into a fight and moves out of the country! And then I finally see Peeta again and I didn't even remember who he was. I don't even know if I'll ever see him again! Mom swallows nervously. I shut my eyes. "What was the fight about?" I whisper. "The what?" Dad asks. "The fight!" I burst, setting the baby book down. "Uh...it was something stupid. I don't even remember what it was about." Mom says. The old oak tree is still standing. I loom out the window. I can practically hear him saying "I did it!" "They were your best friend! What the hell did you throw everything away over something stupid!" I burst. The adults look panicked, the kids look sad. "I wish I had fucking known it was him! I still think about him every day." I say. "Wait, honey I forgot something." Mom says calmly. I snap my eyes up to hers. I could seriously cry right now. "The Mellarks. They moved back. I haven't seen them yet. I don't even know if they want to see me. All I know is they moved back and opens back up the bakery." The bakery. I remember when we were five, we got into a food fight with Jo, Rye, Graham and obviously Peeta and I. We covered the entire kitchen. Jo was best friends with Peeta too. But I was closer. "It's still in the same place." Mom trails off. Oh. Then I'm going. I get up and walk out of the house, slamming the door. And to my surprise, my parents follow. "I want to come." Mom says. "Whatever." I hiss, starting the car. They a cram in and I speed out of the neighborhood. "Do you still know where it is?" Mom asks softly. "Of course I still know where it is. The only places in this entire city I will never forget will be your house and the bakery, because that's where Peeta lived."  
It's not far. Only a few minutes. I park and shut the car off. "I'm just letting you know, I'm not like your little girl anymore. If you get into a fight, I'll freak out." I say. "I won't. I don't want to." Mom says. Dad nods in agreement. I get out and shut the door, dropping my keys in my mothers purse. I slowly walk up to the door and then rip it open. "You go first." Mom whispers. "We'll come inside in just a minute." Dad asks. The man behind the counter. I would know him anywhere. The bell rings and memories come flooding back. My mom is Lilly. My dad is John. Mrs. Mellark is Renee and Mr. Mellark is Jacob. "Welcome to the Mellarks-" he cuts off. He stares at me. "Um..." What the hell am I supposed to say. 'Hey I just came in to see you. You know because I was best friends with your son until you guys moved' I remember they used to say Peeta and I were gonna get married and tease us about it. Both of us would start crying. "You..." He trails off and then puts up and finger. He walks into the back and I look around. Everything looks the exact same. I see a stain on the wall. That's from me and Peeta. We had shot shit all over and it stained the wall. I look up when the door to the kitchen opens up and Mrs. Mellark, Mr. Mellark, Rye and Graham all come out. My palms start to sweat from nervousness. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I'm just gonna go-" "No!" Mrs. Mellark says frantically. I look back at her. "Your...your Katniss Everdeen." I bite my lip and nod. "I still remember you guys." I say. "Is your uh...parents around?" Mrs. Mellark whispers. I try not to cry. "Yes." I whisper. "They're outside..." Both Mr and Mrs Mellarks eyes light up. "Really?" Mr. Mellark asks. I nod. I put up a finger and walk back out the door. I wave them forward and they hesitantly step inside. They stare at each other. "I'm sorry!" Mom finally bursts. "It was the stupidest fight in the entire world and I lost my two best friends because of it and I broke my daughters heart." "I'm sorry too! For all the same reasons!" Mrs. Mellark says, stepping around the counter and hugging Mom. Rye, Graham and I stand there awkwardly. Our parents are hugging and crying and kissing each other cheeks. "Peeta still remembers Katniss. He thinks about her every day. He forget her name. But them yesterday he called and said he ran into a girl in the street and he swears he knows her but he doesn't know where. I didn't want to tell him over the phone so I asked him to visit and he said he'd call me back but he never did." She says. Mr. Mellark walks over to the door and flips the open sign to closed. We fall into an uncomfortable silence. "Well Katniss, you've grown up." Mrs. Mellark says. "Yeah I live in New York..." I trails off. "Your hot." Rye says. I blush a bit and roll my eyes. "Do you remember us?" Graham adds. "Yes. Your Rye and Graham. Me, Peeta, you two and Johanna got into a flour fight when I was five and Peeta was almost six." I say. "How much do you remember?" Mrs Mellark asks. We all sit down. "I remember everything. I remember how that stain got there. I remember the four fight. I remember the last day I saw any of you guys..." I trail off. "I remember being depressed till I was nine." I fall silent. After a couple minutes, Dad laughs. "Well I still say you two are getting married." He says. Mr. Mellark and Dad start laughing while Mom and Mrs. Mellark roll their eyes. I huff and cross my arms, sitting back. "Well um...we're gonna go." Mom says after they stop laughing. "Are you guys still at the same house?" Mrs. Mellark asks. They both nod. We say goodbye and then leave. The drive home is silent. I could seriously cry. I can't believe this. They got into a fight and ended Peeta and I. I silently walk inside and sit down on the couch, fiddling with my phone. "So?" Jo asks. "They made up." I mutter. "Then what are you still upset for?" Finn asks. "I don't know." Yes I do. I'm lying. "Liar." Prim says. They all wait for me to begin. "What if I never see him again?" I blurt. "You will." Mom says. "How do you know?" "Because. I'll make sure of it." She says. "So will I." Dad adds. We fall silent. I start to fidget and then pull out my phone from boredom. I scroll through my Instagram, laughing at random funny pictures. I then switch to iFunny. I laugh when I see someone almost crying from trying not to laugh and on the side it says "trying not to laugh when I'm getting yelled at" I scroll next and see a man in the shower. He's sobbing into a bar of soap and it says "me on the first day of school" It's from his stomach up so you can't see anything. I snicker and like it and then go to the comments. 'Fuck school' 'school is pointless' 'I fucking hate school' 'ugh' I snicker and type a comment, 'graduated, bitches' I continue to scroll. It shows a gif of this girl waitressing for someone on a date. The girl on a date is watching a girl and then the waitress leans over the table, the girl from the date stamps bother her boobs with a fork and makes them go back to normal. I laugh and like it. I then see a gif of Jennifer Lawrence shooting a bow and arrow. Her face falls and she looks around. I grin and like it. I actually went to high school with her. She moved though. We weren't really friends, but I knew her. We said hi to each other. I start feeling extremely overwhelmed about the fact that I saw Peeta yesterday and didnt even know it. "I'm going out." I mumble. Nobody comments. I shove my phone into my back pocket and then walk out front. I get in my car. "I don't even know where to go. I don't have anywhere to go. Wait. Why aren't the kids at school? Wait, they're on summer. I sigh and start to drive. I find myself at the lake that everyone in this town goes to. It's constantly busy. I don't care. I park the car and get out, slamming the door behind me. I see people I know but act like I don't. I shove my phone in my pocket and walk to the part of the lake our parents took us when we were children. I sigh down on the dock. It's got a rail around it. I take off my sandals and place them next to me. I sit down and stick my feet through the bars of the railing, staring down at the glistening lake water. I remember Peeta and I were so angry that Rye and Hraham got to swim because we couldn't swim strong enough and our parents didn't want us in a lake. I then stand up and put my shoes back on, leaning against the railing. I can't believe I didn't fucking know it was him. I'm so damn angry it's not funny. I have tears welling in my eyes but I don't hysterically cry or breakdown. I let them slip silently down my cheeks, watching as they drop into the water, ripples threading through the water. I wipe them. Why am I crying? We were best friend as little kids. Why am I so upset? Then again, if I lost Finn and Annie right now and twenty it fifteen years passed, I saw them again without knowing and then wasn't sure if I would ever see them again, I would guarantee I would be crying. I see a turtle swimming. I hear laughter underneath my feet and wrinkle my nose. That's where the teenagers hide. Especially for sex. I roll my eyes. I'm kind of jealous. I'm twenty years old, never had anyone kiss me, never had sex or a boyfriend. And I know it's bad when I say I'm giving up. But oh well. I just wish I had gotten Peeta's number. And I won't lie when I say I got a weird feeling when we shook hands. If I wasn't so damn forgetful...  
I sigh and wipe more tears. There's no point. The tears are not gonna stop any time soon. Which means I'm stick here till they do. If I go back and look like I've been crying, they'll all freak out. I feel a gently hand on my shoulder and I jump, whipping around. And there he is. Peeta Mellark. 


	3. Chapter 3

Drama. Drama. Drama.

Well this is embarrassing. "I uh...remember." He says. "Me too." I mumble. "Why are you crying?" He asks. His eyes are red rimmed around the edge. I sigh and turn back to the water. "Because..." I trail off. He leans against the railing next to me. "Because why?" He asks. "Because I realized that yesterday it was you. And I didn't know if I'd ever see you again." I whisper, as another tear drips into the water. "Do you remember that day you made me jump out of that tree?" He asks. "Yeah. The way the last time I ever saw you." "Mmm hmm. And remember when I was leaving and I shouted something back at you?" He asks. I think for a moment and then nod. "Yeah." I whisper. "I said 'no matter what, I'll see you again! I promise!'." He whispers. I look up at him. "And you know I always keep my promises." He does always keep his promises. I don't even care. I throw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He wraps his hands around my waist. I pull away and turn back to the water. "Do you know what the fight was about anyways?" He asks. "No. All I know is it was something stupid." I say. "Well my family is at your families house. How about we go find out." He says. I nod. "Did you drive?" I ask. "I walked." He replies. I nod and get in my jeep. He gets in next to me. We begin to drive. "So how long have you been in New York." He says. "Um...I dunno, three years." I say. "One for me." He says. I nod. "So how'd you know we're to find me. Or that I'd be in town anyways." I ask. "Well mom asked me to come down to explain where I'd known you from. So I came and they explained and then all of us went to your parents house. I asked where you were and they said you left and its been two hours so I told them I was gonna go find you." He explains. I nod silently. "And then I remembered you used to beg for us to go to the lake and then I checked there." He says. "And you were there." He shrugs. I smile and pull into the driveway. We both silently get out and then get out. They're all here. We walk into the house, not bothering to be quiet. I shut the door and turn to everyone. "I think we deserve to what the fight was about." Peeta says, crossing his arms. I cross mine too. "It's not important." Mom says calmly. "Not important?" I ask. "That's real funny." Finn, Jo and Ann snicker. Peeta and I both crack small smiles but remain calm. "Yes. Not important. Lets just act like it never happened." Dad says. "I can't act like the last fifteen years if my life didn't happen. I want to know what happened and so doesn't Katniss." Peeta says. "Son, it's really not important." Mr. Mellark tries. "Yeah it really is." I say. Fine. Tome to pull the stubborn shit. "If you don't tell us right now, I will walk out the door, move out of my apartment, change my cell number and you'll never see me again." I threaten. "Me too," Peeta says. "After fifteen years, you'd think they'd stop ganging up on us to get what they want." Mrs. Mellark says. "Bye." I head for the door. "Dammit Katniss! Get back here!" Dad bursts. I turn around. "Last time I checked, I'm twenty years old. You can't tell me what to do." I say. "Well I just did." He says. I laugh. "Just because of that, I'm not gonna listen." I rest my hand on the doorknob. "Fine!" Mom calls desperately. I smirk, my back to the door. I then turn around and walk back to where I was standing next to Peeta. "You two are probably going to start shouting at us. Or leave." Mr. Mellark says. "Damn right..." I say under my breath. Peeta snickers but doesn't say anything. "Okay so...you two were playing in the tree out back." Mom starts. We both nod. "And um...Renee and I were making lunch and she uh tasted one if the noodles to make sure they were done. I kind of got mad and accused her of starving my family." Mom trails off. "And then we started screaming at each other and uh...yeah." Mrs. Mellark finishes. I can almost feel my grey eyes go black. "A noodle." I say. Peeta looks just as mad as I feel. "Yes. Because she overreacted." Mrs. Mellark says. "No I didn't. One noodle. A child in Africa would love to have even one." Mother says. Everything going from calm to chaos is a matter of seconds. Mrs. Mellark and Mom start fighting. Worse than when we were kids. I already have more tears pouring down my cheeks. I throw my head back and scream as loud as I can. Both of them stop. "I...I'm going home." I say. "What!" Mom says. "Me too." Peeta adds. "You can hate each other all you want. But we're old enough to spea for ourselves."  
"I'm coming." Finn says. Annie doesn't say anything, she just stands up. "Everything was just perfectly fine and then you guys were screaming at each other." I say. "But you just got here!" Jo bursts. "Then fucking come Johanna."  
I growl. I hug Prim goodbye. I'm still crying. Me, Peeta, Finn, Annie and Jo go outside. "Let me drive." Finn whispers. I don't say anything as I had him the keys. "Let me call Aaron." Fin says. I get in the backseat in the middle, Peeta on my left and Jo on my right. Finn backs out and I rest my head back against the seat. "I can't fucking believe this." I whisper. Nobody says a word. Except Peeta. "I hate my mother so much right now."  
"Yeah so do I." I say. I don't even know what I'm gonna do when I get home. I bury my head in my hands and remain silent for the rest of the ride.

"Do you guys just want to have our own forth of July celebration?" Finn asks as I pull up at my apartment. We all decided to just have dinner here. I stop the car, get out, get my bag and suitcase and heave it upstairs. I unlock the door and walk into the bedroom, dropping everything but my phone. It's only four. Yes. It's been four fucking hours. Only four. We all settle down on the couch, except for me. I lay on the floor. "Oh yeah, Peeta, this is Finnick and Annie. They're my best friends since I was nine. Guys, this is Peeta." I say. "Oh and you know Johanna. The flour fight." I say. He laughs and nods. "Yeah." Of course my phone starts ringing. And of course it's Mom. I press answer. "Where are you?" She demands. I clearly doesn't think I left. "In my apartment." I hiss. "Why do you care? It seems like it's your goal to ruin my life." "Are you serious? You actually left?" She says. She's actually angry. "Yes. I actually left." I say. "Why!" She bursts. "Because you were kind of being an asshole." I say. "How? How was a being an asshole?"  
"Well I finally get to see Peeta again. And then you and his mom get into another fight over a noodle." I say. "You were being an asshole too." She says. Your serious. "You don't act forty." I say. I hang up on her.

So that was different, wasn't it! Wasn't that a stupid reason to stop being friends? I know I would have been just as angry as Katniss Anyway, tell me what you think Disclaimer: I don't own anything -KatPeeta22 


	4. Chapter 4

It's kinda weird. Peeta and I had our bond back so fast. But there's something different about our bond, obviously more grown up, but this time, there's something else that makes us act different. I just don't know what it is. It's actually the forth of July, and Peeta invited all of us over to his house for a barbecue. But right now it's only me and Peeta, because, Johanna, Finn and Annie went to the store, clearly trying to get us alone. Jo decided to stay with Finn and Annie. I haven't spoken to my Mother. Peeta has spoken to his. He hung up after she said that he was overreacting. I go to put a plate in the microwave but Peeta makes a weird sound, like he's crying out, and then he rips the plate from my hands. "Are you trying to set my house on fire?" He says. I roll my eyes. "Fine, I'll put less time." I say. "Katniss this plate has metal on it." He says. "So?" I say. "It will catch fire in the microwave." He says. "Oh." I say as he sets the plate down. "Well then it'll cook faster." We both start laughing. I punch him playfully on the shoulder and he pretends to be hurt. "I'll get another plate." I say. I look around. He sniggers and then opens a cabinet and grabs another plate, dumps everything on the plate, puts it in the microwave and presses start. He goes back out back. I follow him. "Remind me never to let you cook for me." He says. "Hey!" I say. He laughs. "Katniss you just told me putting a metal plate in the microwave will make it cook faster." He says. "I was playing!" I burst. "So!" He says. "I hate you." I snarl. "No you don't. You love me." He says, grinning at me over his shoulder. For some reason, my stomach flips. I roll my eyes. "No I don't." I say. He says. "Yes you do. You love me!" He says. "It's okay. I love you too." He jokes. I laugh. The microwave beeps and I walk back inside, pulling out the food and setting it on the counter.  
My phone starts ringing and I press hello without looking at the caller I.D. "Hello?" I ask, walking back outside. "Katniss" mom. I clench my jaw. "Before you freak out, I'm calling to apologize." She says. "So am I." It's Mrs. Mellark. "We all are." Dad adds. "For everything. For the last years. For taking you guys away from each other." Peeta's watching me closely. "Is Peeta there?" Mrs. Mellark asks. "Yes..." "Can you put the phone on speaker?" Mr. Mellark asks. I look at Peeta and then put the phone on speaker. They tell him everything just told me. "It's fine." I say. "Yeah." Peeta adds. Mom sighs and I hear them whispering. "Okay, we're just gonna cut right to the chase." Dad says. Peeta and I exchange a look. "We know you guys have had sex." Mr. Mellark says. "We have not!" I burst. "Katniss you don't have to lie about it. Your both perfectly capable of having sex and maintaining a relationship. Your both twenty." Mom says calmly. "We have not had sex!" Peeta bursts. "Peeta dear, we know your lying." Mrs. Mellark says. My stomach is doing backflips. "We haven't had sex! I haven't even had my first kiss yet!" I say. I'm not embarrassed. Every one of my friends already know. It doesn't bug me that Peeta knows now too. "Katniss, you don't have to lie." Mom says. "I'm not lying!" I say loudly, extremely pissed off. Peeta puts his hand on my arm to calm me. "Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you anyways." Peeta says. "That wouldn't be anybody's business." "Exactly." I say. "Why won't you just be honest. We know its true." Dad says. "We're all ecstatic actually. It's obvious you two have feelings for each other." Mrs. Mellark says. I hang up and go to throw my phone across the yard but Peeta takes it from my hand a second before it leaves my fingers. "Don't break your phone because our parents are assholes." He says softly. I sigh. "Thank you," I whisper. He hands my phone back to me. I put it in my pocket. He turns back to the grill, flipping burgers and then moving it onto the plate I set out. He turns off the grill Suddenly, he whips around to face me. He stares intensely at me. I stare back at him, my stomach flipping like crazy. He stares at me for a long time. The next thing I know, he grabs my gently and then takes my face in his hands and locks our lips. I'm shocked at first but then my entire body starts to burn and tingle. I put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his chest. His hands trail down my body, stopping at my hips, pulling me against him. Our movements get more frantic. I kiss his harder, moving the hand on his shoulder to his hair, fisting it in my hand. I hear three gasps and we pull away. Shit. I guessed we missed the sound of the door. Jo, Annie and Finn are standing in the grass, shocked. I'm blushing like crazy. It's so awkward right now. I have no clue what to say. "Uh..." I trail off. I couldn't be happier when my phone starts blaring. I dig it out. "Hello?" I ask, slightly breathless. "That was very disrespectful." Mom scolds. "Wait! Why are you breathless!" Mrs. Mellark asks hopefully. Shitttttt! "I just went for a jog." I lie. "Bullshit, we were just on the phone with you five minutes ago." Dad says. "You and Peeta were making out." Mr. Mellark says. "I um..." I give Peeta a sorry look. He just shrugs. "Fine." I growl. "Yes! It's happening Jacob! They're getting married!" My Dad exclaims. "What!" I scoff. "Just because we kissed, doesn't mean we're dating!" I burst. "I know dear. But you will date. And then you'll get engaged and we'll have a wedding and the you guys will go on a honeymoon and get pregnant and then I'll have grand babies!" Mom says excitedly. "Mom!" I burst. "Okay honey, just be smart. No cheating." Dad says. The line goes dead. I go to throw my phone again but Peeta takes it. "I'm holding onto this." He says, putting my phone in his pocket. Everything falls back into an awkward silence. My phone starts blaring in Peeta's pocket. "Can I have my phone?" I ask. He pauses and shakes his head.  
"Nope, your not calmed down." He says. I stare at him and then lunge at him, knocking him into the grass with me directly on top of him. "What are you doing!" He bursts.  
I stick my hand in his pocket and dig my phone out, pressing hello. "You and Peeta made out!" Rye says. I'm sitting on Peeta's stomach. He stares at me. "How do you know that?" I ask. "Dude! My bro made out with the sexiest chick on earth!" Graham shouts in the background. "Rye stop being so disgusting!" I burst. Peeta's eyebrows furrow and then he takes the phone from me. "Why does Katniss look like she's gonna throw up?" His expression goes angry and he hangs up. "Can you get off me?" He asks with a smirk. "Give me my phone then." I say. "Nope." He says. "Then I'm not getting up." I say. He suddenly rolls, flipping me so I'm underneath him. He pockets his phone and then starts to get up. I reach up and wrap my legs around his waist. "Phone." I say. He laughs. "You think this'll stop me?" He asks. I nod. He snickers and pulls my arms so I'm sitting up. He then proceeds to wrap his arms around me and then stands up, taking me with him so my legs around his neck. I glare at him and hop down. "I hate you." I say. He laughs. "No you don't." But he's right, I don't hate him. I don't dislike him, I don't even know if I like him. It might be more than like him. All I know is I want to kiss him again. Desperately. We decide to eat out here. Dinner is quick and silent. Finn, Annie and Jo are quiet, not knowing what to say. We finish eating and I take plates and head into the kitchen. Peeta follows me. Jo, Finn and Annie stay outside. We silently clean up.  
He sighs. He remains silent. I don't say anything as I scrub pots and pans. "Here," he says, gently taking the pan from me. He washes and I dry. There's a loud knock on the door. I dry my hands on the towel. "I'll get it." I mumble. I head to the door and pull it open. Oh god. Everyone. Peeta's entire family, and mine. Peeta comes up behind me. I look back at him and he looks at me. "Oh aren't you two just adorable!" Rye says, walking in.  
Everyone else comes in. "Yes, you can come in." Peeta grumbles as I shut the door. "Katniss your so much taller!" Peeta's aunt, Jessica says. "Uh yeah I grew a lot in fifteen years." I say. My eyes lock on a little girl with bouncy blond curls, crying. "Mama I can't find my Barbie!" She sobs. She's probably three. I see a spot of color on the ground out of the corner of my eye. I look over my shoulder at it. There's a Barbie there. I walk over and pick it up, kneeling down in front of her. "Is this your Barbie?" I ask softly. She nods excitedly. I smile and hand it to her. She wipes her tears with her chubby hands. "What's your name?" I ask. "I'm Audrey. I'm this much!" She says with a toothy grin, holding up ten fingers. I smile. Jessica smiles and places her hand on Audrey's head. "She's three." She says with a smile. "How much are you?" Audrey asks. I smile. "I don't fit on my fingers." I say. She frowns. "Why not!" She asks. "Because I'm old." She looks me up and down. "No your not! Your really pretty and really tall!" Ha. No I'm not. I'm only 5"6'  
But I am to her. I smile. "Thank you." I say. She grins. I stand back up. Everyone is smirking at me and Peeta. I blush and look down. "But seriously, we know you guys had sex." Justice, Cinna and Portia's kid says. "We didn't. You guys just wish we did." I say angrily. "What's sex?" Audrey asks. I snicker. "That's your fault." I say to Justice. "Um not to be rude, but what exactly are you doing here?" Peeta asks. I laugh and then bite my lip and look down. "We came to visit!" Mom says. "Who's here?" Finn calls. His eyes widen. Annie and Jo come in behind them. "Did you see them making out?" Mom asks. "Yeah. It was intense." Jo says. Peeta starts to scratch the back of his neck. "How long we're you there, exactly?" He asks. "From when he turned to grill off." Shit. That means they saw Peeta run his hands down my body. I blush deeply. "You guys should have seen it! Peeta ran his hands down Katniss's-" Peeta and I both start coughing obnoxiously. We did that when we were younger and Rye and Graham decided to be snitches. "Down her what?" Justice asks. Finn looks at me and snickers. "Body." Jo finishes. "It was hot." Ann adds. "Oh my god! Our babies are getting married!" Mrs. Mellark exclaims. "Mom!" Peeta groans. "Oh this is wonderful!" Prim says. "I'm leaving." I walk out the door. Peeta follows me.  
We get to the corner and he grabs my hand gently. "Katniss..." He breathes. I whip around. "What?" I snap. He sighs. "Don't go," he whispers. "Why? All they want to do is embarrass us! I'm leaving!"  
I burst. He sighs. "Let me at least drive you home." He whispers. I don't have my car. He picked me up. "Fine." I whisper. Okay go get in the car. I'll go tell everyone." He whispers. "No. I need my bag." I say. "I'll get it." He says gently. I sigh and nod and then walk over to his car and get in. It's nearly five minutes before he comes out. I'm pissed off at the family. He slams the door to the car and then slams his hands into the steering wheel. I don't ask, knowing it's gonna upset him further. He starts to drive. I stare out the window, drawing swirls on my leg with my finger. "What about tonight. The forth?" He asks. I shrug. "I'll be alone. No big deal." He sighs and pulls into the parking lot. "I can't let you be alone on a holiday." He says when we get to my door. I silently unlock it. "Then send someone if it bugs you that much." I say. God my family is pissing me off so much right now. He hesitates, staring at me. I can practically read his mind. I step aside and let him in, shutting the door behind him and locking it. It's a habit, locking the door, I mean. He likes my apartment for some reason. He says its so 'artsy' I awkwardly stare at each other. The silence is awkward because I'm almost positive that he's thinking what I'm thinking. And what I'm thinking is how great it feels to kiss him and how soft his lips are against mine. And how hard of a time I'm having controlling myself around him. And it's been four or five days. Our eyes have been locked this whole time. Suddenly both of us move forward and lock our lips. Our movements are frantic and gentle. I tangle my fingers in his hair. The second I find my fingers tugging desperately on his shirt, I know I can't stop.

Oh dammmmmnnnnn Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games -KatPeeta22 


	5. Chapter 5

I wake up wrapped in someone's arms, naked. I then realize that someone is Peeta, we are in my bed, both or us are naked. Oh my god. You know what? I don't regret it. He's awake. I can tell. My head is on his chest. His breathing is faster than usual and his heart is racing. What do I do? I haven't even opened my eyes because I'm nervous to see his facial expression. Does he hate me? I feel my heart rate increase. I sigh quietly and slowly sit up, clutching the sheets to my chest. I'm freaking out. He sighs and runs his hands across his face and then sits up. We stare at each other for a moment. "I understand if you hate me." I whisper. "I don't hate you." He whispers. "Do you hate me?" No. I love you. "No," I say. I love him. I'm sure of it now. I shyly get up and grab my bra and underwear, pulling them on. He does the same, but I don't watch. He doesn't watch me either. I'm gonna say it. I can't hold it in. "Peeta." I whisper. He's just got his jeans on now. He turns around. I'm fully dressed. I have a blue bra tank top, like the one I had the day I saw Peeta and actually knew I was him. And I have white shorts. "Hmm?" He asks.  
"I uh..." I sigh. "You know I love you, right?" I ask. "Yes. I told you like twenty times yesterday that you do." He says playfully. Dammit. "No I mean I love you. Like...love you." I say, putting emphasis on love. He stares at me. "I love you too." He whispers, walking over to me and gently kissing my cheek. I don't say anything about what's really bugging me now. He turns to me suddenly, both of us fully dressed. "You know we can um...be friends with benefits." He says. "I can't do that. Especially not after what just happened and what we just said." He whispers, sounding hurt. "I can't either." I whisper. We stare at each other. "Be mine?" He whispers, linking our hands. I smile. "Mmm Kay." I say. "You realize our parents are gonna flip shit, right?" He asks as I run my fingers through my hair and walk into the bathroom. I switch my fingers for a brush. "Yeah. And it's gonna be funny, actually. And I'm warning you, Finn and Annie are constantly gonna be freaking out." I say. He shrugs as I put toothpaste on my toothbrush and scrub my teeth, spit and wash my mouth out. "Be prepaid." I grumble, linking our hands and walking out of the apartment. We ride in silence. I'm freaking out. We silently walk into his living room. Everyone is here. Even Finn, Annie and Jo. I thought they would have gone home. I realize our hands are linked. I go to disconnect them but its too late, they've seen. I drop his hand anyway. God this is terrible. I can tell already. "Katniss, are you gonna get pregnant?" Mom asks calmly, trying not to smile. "No," I answer immediately. Finn insisted I keep a condom in my nightstand, so we had protection. And I take birth control. Peeta looks relived. "Which means you had sex!" Dad says. Rye, Graham, Justice and Kegan start cheering 'Peeta got laid! Peeta got laid!' Finn cheers, long with Annie and then everyone in the entire house is cheering and laughing and clapping. "Oh dear god." I mumble, looking down. It's nearly fifteen minutes before they shut up. "So what are you? Friends with benefits?" Mrs. Mellark asks. I groan quietly. "No. We are not friends with benefits." I mumble. "So your dating?" Prim asks, practically bouncing on her toes. Peeta looks at me. He sighs. "Yes." He says. The cheers start again. I blush deeply and bury my head in his chest. "This is so embarrassing." I moan. He kisses my head. "You'd think they'd be pissed off their kids just got their innocence taken away." He mutters in my ear. He pauses. "Well at least I was a virgin till yesterday." He adds. I look up at him. "So was I. You were my first kiss too. And boyfriend." I whisper, putting my head back onto his chest. "Me too." He says. "Oh look at them!" Mrs. Mellark says when everyone falls silent. I roll my eyes into his chest. "Let's throw a party!" Mom bursts. "No!" I protest. "Why? Do you not want to be dating Peeta?" Dad asks. "No but you guys...and no offense when I say this, but you guys are really loud and annoying and obnoxious." I say. Peeta snickers but remains silent. "Well honey, that what family is for!" Mrs. Mellark says. I groan and lean against the door, messing around on my phone. Annie comes walking over to me. "I'm so happy for you guys." She says, hugging me gently. I blush. "What are you playing?" She asks. "I'm not playing shit. I'm on iFunny." I say. Her lips form an O and she nods. "Wait! Go back!" She says, scrolling back. I gasp, drop my phone. "What the fuck!" I shout, making everyone fall silent. "What's wrong?" Peeta asks. I snatch Annie's left hand and look at Finn. "What the hell? When was I going to be informed that you two are ENGAGED!" I demand. Annie's face pales, along with Finn's. "Uh..." Finn tries. I'm honestly pissed. But I'm so happy at the same time. "Well are you happy?" Annie says, pulling her hand out of my grip. "Of course I'm happy!" I say, hugging her again. She smiles. "I should have known you were gonna figure it out." Finn says, walking over and putting his arm around Annie. And just like that, the party goes from me and Peeta, to Finn and Annie. "Oh! And Katniss and Peeta are gonna be next!" Mrs. Mellark exclaims. "Mom!" Peeta groans. "What dear! You've already given yourselves to one another. I don't see why your so opposed to getting married." Mrs. Mellark replies. I moan in embarrassment and bury my head in Peeta's chest. "Do you guys how embarrassing you are?" Peeta asks. "Oh there's no reason to he embarrassed!" Mom says. "You two are very much in love and both of you won't admit it!" I pull away from Peeta, both of us not looking at them. "Oh my god! They have!" Prim squeals. Dammit this stupid family. "Oh look! I have to go to work!" I say. I turn around and walk out of the door. Peeta follows me. "Katniss wait," he says, grabbing my hand. I just want to go home and make some tea, rest on my couch in my bra and underwear and watch Pretty Little Liars. I turn to him. "I'm about to start screaming. They're driving me insane. They should be focused on Finn and Ann! Why are they so obsessed with us!" "Because we're both sexy." He says jokingly. "Well one of us are sexy." I say, looking him up and down. He laughs. "Yeah. And that's you." He says. "No. It's you." I say, stepping closer to him. He shakes his head and then shocks my by lifting me up so my legs are around his waist. "Actually it's you." He whispers, his hands on my butt. "Why are you so sure?" I whisper. He laughs. "Because I believe that I have seen all of you." He says, smiling sweetly at me. I can feel my cheeks heat up. "I wanna go home." I say. "Please stay till this stupid party is over? Then I promise I'll take you home." He says. "Fine," I say. "Yes! Thank you." He says, pecking my lips and then setting me down. He takes my hand and I force myself to follow him back into the house. I sit down at the bar, playing on my phone while everyone laughs and listens to music. I look up, however, when sexy and I know it comes on. Finn looks at me, a wide grin on his face. "Dance with me." He says. I shake my head. "Yes" he says. "Finn I really don't want-" he throws me over his shoulder. "Put me down!" I shout, beating my fists on his back. "That tickles!" He says. He sets me down in the middle of the living room. "Dance with me." He repeats. "No." I say, starting to walk away. He grabs my hand. "Dance!" I cross my arms across my chest. "Please?" The song is halfway through. Everyone is watching us in anticipation. I sigh and drop my crossed arms. Just make this more embarrassing. Hell no. "I really don't want to." I say. He ignores me and starts to twerk. I stare at him. Don't do it. No. Don't. Fuck.  
I really want to. Don't. Don't do it. "Come on! Do it!" Prim calls. "Do it!" Rye shouts, shoving me forward. "Yeah! Do it or I'll kiss you!" Justice shouts. Oh what have I got to lose? I jump in with Finn, tweaking with him. The house fills with cheers. When the song ends, Finn and I high five. "See Kitty!" He says. "You can be fun!" He just brought out the old me. The high school one. Who doesn't give a shit about what anyone thinks about me. I laugh. "Damn right." He looks shocked. "Your back!" He says. "The fun kitty! The high school kitty!" I laugh and move away. Peeta grabs my hand and pulls me aside. "Your a good dancer. When were you gonna tell me you could dance?" He asks. "I've um always been able to dance." I say. "I didn't know that." I lean against him, our lips a hairline apart. "Because I didn't tell you." I whisper, our lips touching slightly when I say "you" His eyes go dark blue. I then realize that everyone is watching us, willing us to make out. I feel my cheeks hear up. "They want us to make out." I whisper, my lips hardly moving, barley audible. He sighs and I slowly step away from him. "Oh don't let us interrupt, you guys can go upstairs if you'd like." Mom says. "Mom!" I burst. "It's not even been 24 hours yet! "So what! You guys have already had sex! There's no reason you can't do it again." Mrs. Mellark says. "Calm down sweetheart." Haymitch grumbles. I clench my jaw and then pull out my phone and go back to my game. Everyone resumes what they were doing and I move to the bar. Maybe if I act like I'm asleep, they'll leave me alone. I rest my head on the counter on my arms. I shut my eyes and act asleep. Everyone continues what they're doing and then someone says something and they all quiet down, falling silent. "I think she's asleep." Peeta says. "She's not." Mom says. She nudges my side and I don't move. Good thing I know how to act. "Let's wake her up." Jo suggests. I hear movement and then I can sense someone standing in front of me. "No. Leave her be." Peeta says. "Well then at least move her so we can still be loud." Mrs. Mellark says. I feel myself lifted up bridal style and then I'm carried upstairs. I'm set on the bed. "You can stop acting now." Peeta says. I grin and open my eyes. He shuts the door and sits down next to me. "I wish I'd have thought of that." He says. I am actually tired enough to fall asleep and I really wanna go home.  
I roll onto my side, facing him. "I am actually tired though." I say. This bed smells like Peeta. Like cinnamon, Dill and a bit of sugar. He does have a bakery open here. He owns it this time. It's still the Mellarks bakery but he owns this one. "So go to sleep." He whispers. He leans down and gives me a long, loving kiss and then gets up and walks out, shutting the door softly behind him. I drift off.

When I wake up, I panic. I'm at home. It's dark. I glance at the clock on my nightstand and see its eight thirty. I'm starving. My panic increases when I realize that last thing I remember was I fell asleep at Peeta'a. Suddenly, my stomach hurts. I stumble off to the bathroom. I thought so. I insert a tampon and then I strip down into my bra and underwear, throw my clothes in the hamper in my room and walk into the kitchen. I boil water and then rummage through the cabinets for something to eat. I sigh quietly. I need to go grocery shopping. I'll have to do that tomorrow. I get out turkey lunch meat and Munster cheese. I get mayonnaise and bread and a butter knife, spreading the mayonnaise. The tea pot starts whistling and I shut off the burner, pouring water into a cup. I add a tea bag, finish making my sandwich and then bounce the tea bag up and down, silently finishing off my sandwich. I throw the tea bag out and then add sugar and milk, clean off the counter since I finished my sandwich and then carry my drink to the living room. I sit down on the couch and start Pretty Little Liars. I glance down at my phone and them decide to call Peeta to find out what the hell happened. He doesn't answer. I sigh and turn back to the screen. I watch more of Pretty Little Liars. Thunder rumbles through the air. I get up, walk into my bedroom, pulling on a t-shirt and sweatpants and then walking out onto my balcony. The sky is dark and it's extremely windy. Lightening strikes viciously in the sky, seconds later thunder booms loudly, making me jump a bit and then it starts pouring. I go back inside and shut the door. I walk back out to the living room and pick up my phone again, checking the weather. Oh damn this is gonna be terrible.

Idk what to say so uh...hi? Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games -KatPeeta22 


	6. Chapter 6

Here

This storm is horrendous. It's terrible. It's been two days and its only gotten worse. I had a nightmare last night for some reason. They're back. It's me as a little kid, watching Peeta be pulled away from me. I woke up in tears. I don't even know what time it is. I have no power and my phone has no service and it died. So now I'm using a flashlight, reading Harry Potter. I am having to survive off cans. The first day it was really stormy. Now today, the second day, three days into the storm, I'm freaking out. The while family is still in town. They're all at Peeta's, including Finn and Annie. But I'm the only one not with them. What if something happened to them? There have been trees fallen into buildings, which have collapsed. I've heard them fall. I'm freaking the fuck out. I hear another crash and rush to the window. There's a building across the street collapsing. And there's a CAR in the road. A CAR! I start crying. This is scaring the crap outta me. "Am I gonna die?" I whisper. The car is gone, skidding through the insane wind and rain. I cry harder. Is my family dead? Everyone I know and trust and love is at Peeta's house. I start to sob, freaking out. The rain gets louder for a second and then stops, ending with a click. But its still pouring. It never stopped. That click. Was my front door. My back is to the door because I'm facing the window. It's dark because its night and raining. I can't find my way around. I sniff and slowly turn around. Someone's standing there, soaked, shivering, staring at me. I can't see who they are. The person coughs, probably getting sick. They slowly step forward into the light of the window. "Do you have a death wish!" I burst, smacking his chest and then hugging him, not caring he's soaking wet. He holds me tightly. His skin is freezing cold and he's soaked. I pull away. "Your gonna get sick." I say. "Come here." I murmer, grabbing his hand and pulling him into my bedroom. "Peeta I swear. Did you drive here? In this weather?" "Yes." He says, teeth chattering. He still has boxers here. I hand them to him. "Go change." I say. He walks off, coming back a minute later in his boxers. I walk into the bathroom and get a towel, walking back into my bedroom. "What are you doing?" He asks. I scrub his hair with the towel and then throw it back in the bathroom. I grab the comforter off the bed, silent tears still trickling down my cheeks. I point to the bed and he lays down. I throw the comforter over him and then slide in next to him. "What are you doing here? Are you insane! Driving in this weather! Dammit Peeta, your gonna give me a heart attack, I swear!" I burst. He sighs and pulls me against him. I'm on my side and he's on his side and our stomachs are pressed together. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." He whispers. "And I'm not gonna lie when I was going slightly crazy." He adds. "Peeta we're probably in a hurricane. The city is destroyed." I whisper. He pulls me closer against him. "I will forever do anything to make sure your okay, even if I'm risking my life." He whispers. I'm in my bra and underwear. "And our families are probably freaking out. I just kind of got up, grabbed my eyes and left." He says. I sigh. "Your gonna give me a heart attack." I mumble, half asleep. He doesn't know about the nightmares. Last night was different. We were our age. We got into a fight and broke up. I woke up screaming. "Have you been sleeping?" He asks when he notices I'm tired. I shrug. "Kinda..." I mumble. "Are you lying?" "I uh...sleep half the night and then have a small issue and can't fall asleep." I mutter. He pulls away to look at me. "What issue." Should I tell him? "Nightmares." "What kind of nightmares?" I sigh and then roll over. "Katniss," he begins. "You don't have to tell me. But I've been having nightmares too." With that, he remains silent. It's a few minutes. "They're about me and...and you and the first night we were five and then we were our age and we got into a fight over something stupid and broke up." "Me too," he whispers. I feel the tears coming faster and harder. He flips back over and gently tubs me so I'm on my back. I stare at the ceiling, not looking at him as I cry without any facial expressions. He slowly climbs so he's above me. "Don't cry." He murmurs. He leans down and locks our lips gently, my salty tears mixing in. My eyes flutter closed and I gently place my left hand on his cheek. We kiss gently, like feather kisses.  
He pulls away gently and wipes my tears. "I love you," he whispers. "I love you too." I whisper. He slowly lays back down next to me. We both drift off, enveloped in each others warmth that we've missed so much.

READ, ITS IMPORTANT! Okay, there's going to be one more chapter and then things are going to go to shit. Please don't kill me or stop reading, it will pick up again. I'm gonna do it to strengthen their relationship, so please don't kill me. You'll understand what I'm talking about when you read the chapter after next. Only ChloeDames knows because KatPeeta20 doesn't have wifi. And when she reads this, LAURA, if you don't like it, you can complain all you wanna, but FYI, ima do it anyways. Go on the Kim convo between me and Raven and you'll understand Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I didn't write the hunger games, therefor my characters are probably gonna be a bit OOC because I can't possibly ever achieve what Suzanna Collins can -KatPeeta22 


	7. Chapter 7

Uh...here:

The storm took a total of three more days for it to lighten up even a little. By the next day, it was just sprinkling. Oh, and the power came back on. My phone's charging, Peeta's phone's charging, I'm cleaning and doing laundry and I just got out of the shower. Peeta's in the shower. I'm terrified to leave the house, but I know I have to. I have to check the store and I have to go grocery shopping. And I should probably go to Peeta's for an hour. But I have shit to do today. Peeta comes out of the shower in the clothes he came in, which I washed. "I'm gonna have to drive my car." I tell him. I walk into the bathroom and get out my toothbrush. He follows me. "Are you sure?" He asks. "Yes. I'm only gonna be at your house for an hour because I have shit to do today." I say, starting to scrub my teeth. He nods. "Now that I think of it, so do I." He says. I spit the foam and brush my hair and then walk into the living room. The sun is out, which pisses me off. There's already workers all over the city. "You can go, I have to finish stuff here first." I say, getting the garbage and putting it next to the fridge, throwing away everything. "I'll stay." He says. I wrinkle my nose in discust, thankful that I don't have to take my garbage out. I leave it in a box next to my door and a worker comes and gets it. I carry the garbage out the door and pick up the bag, dropping it in a bin. I take the bin back in the house and put it back where it belongs. I get my phone, which is fully charged and quickly type a shopping list, muttering under my breath. I pocket my phone in my denim shorts, grabs my purse and keys and look at Peeta. "Ready?" I ask. "If I have a car." He nods, taking my hand. We walk silently outside. We head down the stairs. How in the world did this parking lot manage to only get a small flood. I sigh, relieved. "I'll see you at your house." I say. "Okay, please be safe." I nod. "Promise," I peck his lips and then walk over to my car, getting in and sighing when I realize its perfectly fine. Peeta makes sure to get ahead of me. I put my sunglasses on and start the car, carefully driving past him. There's still hardly anyone out in the streets. That's saying a lot for New York. Peeta only lives about ten minutes away. It takes twenty because the flooding. We carefully drive through puddles, some of them knee deep, which can flood the engine. Peeta pulls into his driveway and I pull in next to him. I shut the door silently and wait for Peeta. He waves me forwards. I ditch my purse in the car. I put my phone in my pocket and swing my keys around my finger, walking into Peeta's house. Everyone looks up and their eyes lighten, growing brighter when Peeta's steps in behind me. The powers not back on. I lift my sunglasses onto my forehead. "What the hell Peeta. Where'd you go?" Rye demands. "The idiot came to make sure I was okay in the middle of a hurricane." I say. "Do you have a death wish!" Mrs. Mellark shrieks. "I'm perfectly fine, so chill out." Peeta says. "I'm not staying long." I warn. "Why not?" Mom asks. "Because I have no food in my house and I think it's probably a good idea to make sure my business is still standing." I say sarcastically. "Is your house still standing? Your car?" Finn asks. "Yup." I say. "Okay. I literally meant I was going to barely be here." I say. "I'm leaving." "You've been here for like one minute." Justice complains. "I wanna get a good look at that ass." I roll my eyes and walk into the kitchen where Peeta is. He's throwing stuff away. "I'm leaving." I announce. He glances at me over his shoulder. He then turns all the way around. "You know your allowed to stay, right?" He asks. Which means he doesn't want me to go and he's trying to talk me out of it. "I guess. But I have to go. I have stuff to do today." I say. He sighs and walks over to me, hugging me and then kissing me lovingly. "Are you sure you can't stay a little while?" He asks sweetly. I sigh. "No," I say. "Alright then. Please be careful." I sigh. "I will. I promise." I say. I kiss him again and walk out of the kitchen. "Hey kitty do you think you can give us a ride home?" Finn asks. It's kind of out of my way. They live across from my apartment but I was planning on going to my sports store and then going grocery shopping. But I'll do it anyways. "Alright." I say. Jo is still staying with them, so she follows me, Finn and Annie out of the door. "I watched a building across the street collapse." I say as we get in the car. "What! But our place is across the street!" Annie says. "It wasn't yours." I say. They sigh and remain silent. I drive very carefully through the city. When I get to their place, they sigh. "The complex across from ours. That's the one that collapsed." Finn says. That's probably a ton of dead people. There's workers looking through the rubble. "At least it wasn't yours." I mutter. "But even if it was, I couldn't be more glad you guys were at Peeta's." I say. They nod and then the three of them get out and are gone. I drive away. The store is the same. There's a large branch on the roof but other than that, it's fine. I have to get that branch off or the roof will eventually collapse. I park out front and head inside, growing confused when the door is unlocked. Everything is obviously okay. Linda, Clove, Thresh, Cato and Foxface are all here. "What are you guys doing here?" I ask. They look panicked, like I'm firing them. "We um work today." Linda says carefully. I sigh. "Guys, we just got out of a hurricane. You can't honestly think that you still have to come into work today. You all have lives, you two have kids, all of you have houses. You must have other, more important things to do. Like grocery shopping." I say. Cato and Clove are married. They're my age. They have a baby. Her names Alexa. "Go home. Go take care of the baby and do the shopping." I say. They look panicked. "Are we fired?" Linda asks. "Because whatever we did...I'm really sorry." "No your not fired, I just know you guys have shit to do today. Take the day off." I say. "Are you sure?" Clove asks. "Positive." I reply. They all sigh and head out. I head to my office in the back and go to my computer, checking stocks and everything. They did it all. God I really need to give them a raise. I head back out. I get in my car and go to the grocery store. I go around, putting random things in the cart since I practically need everything. "Your really sexy." A guy behind me says. I turn around. He's my age, brown simple hair and brown eyes. He's okay, but I don't like him. "Me?" I ask. "Yes. Your really sexy." I look down at my attire. A simple tie die t-shirt and short shorts. "Um...thank you?" I say. "Will you go out with me?" He asks. "No. Sorry." I say. I turn back to the laundry detergent. "Well why not?" He demands. I turn back around. "Because I have a boyfriend." I say. "So. Just have sex with me and then it's over with." He presses. "No." I say, forcing myself to keep my voice level. He steps closer to me. I see two people at the end of the isle. My eyes flicker over at him and see Jessica and Audrey. Jessica is whispering to Audrey. Audrey nods. "Why not. Just because you have a boyfriend doesn't mean you can't just have sex with me." The guy presses. "Uh because I don't like you and-" "Mommy!" Audrey says, running towards me with a Barbie in her hand. She jumps into my arms. "And because I have a daughter."  
I say. "Mommy look! Look what I found!"  
Audrey waves her Barbie in my face. I shift her on my hip. "That's very pretty. Is that your though? Where did you find it?" I ask. "It was in your purse!" She says. "Oh yeah. I did put that in there, didn't I?" She nods. "Why do I have trouble believing that she's actually your daughter. Wait, she looks a lot like you. But I'm having a lot of trouble believe you actually have a boyfriend." He says. Now Jessica is whispering hurriedly to Peeta. He must have taken them to the store with him. "So you wanna tell me why?" He growls. "Maybe because your desperate." I say. Peeta walks over to me. "Hey baby I got the-who are you?" He begins, holding up the last thing on my list, which is milk. Damn him. He knows so much and his lying skills are flawless. "I don't even know his name. He keeps trying to get me to do that S word that we don't speak of in front of Audrey and I keep telling him I have a boyfriend and he doesn't believe me." I say. "Well here I am." Peeta says, setting the milk in the cart and pecking my lips. The guy looks angry. "I'll find you." He growls. "Yeah right." I say under my breath. The guy turns around and leaves. I set Audrey down. "How do you lie so good?" I ask, both of them really. Audrey grins and Peeta shrugs. "No clue," he says. "So what'd he actually want?" He asks, smiling, his blue eyes sparkling, making me melt. "Exactly what I told you." I say. His smile drops and his face goes head. "Your serious? I thought you were lying." He says, looking furious. "I'm serious." I say. He starts to fidget, looking like he wants to go after him. "It's fine. It's over with." I wave him off. "Katniss he just asked you to have sex with him!" He says. "How can you honestly say that's fine?" I look down at my hands. "It's not um...the first time..." I trail off. Audrey, using her child senses, walks back to Jessica, who stays away. "Do they ever um...touch you?" He asks, keeping his voice down. I pause and then look down. "Once." I mumble. I sneak a quick glance at him. Oh god. He's pissed. "What?" He asks angrily. He's livid, not just pissed. He's force himself to remain calm, his hands in tight fists, his knuckles white. It's actually quite scary. "Peeta listen-" "No. Come here." He says, practically growling. Even through all this anger, he gently grabs my hand and pulls me away. I see Jessica go to my cart so I don't lose all my stuff. He pulls me right out of the store and around back, where there's an ally. If I didn't trust Peeta with my life, I would probably be screaming for help right about now. "Someone has asks you for sex and went so far as touching you and you didn't tell me?" He asks. "It was before we got reunited." I whisper. "Do you hate me?" I add quietly. "No of course I don't hate you." He says softly.

He actually came home with me after that. Well, I went home and he went home to his house, dropped off his groceries and then came over. We've been talking for three hours nonstop about random stuff. "Favorite food?" He asks. I bite my lip for a moment and then release it. "Um...I dunno, pizza?" "Oh come on! Everyone says pizza!" He says with a laugh. I giggle. It's weird. I never giggle, I can't remember the last time I did, but he can always manage to get a giggle out of me. "Okay well there's this one thing my Mom made on Thanksgiving when I was little. I don't remember what it was called." "How was it made?" He asks. "I don't know. It was chicken with breadcrumbs..." "Chicken cutlets?" He asks. I giggle again. "Yes! How'd you know?" I ask, grinning and nudging him slightly. He shrugs. "I know things." He replies. I laugh softly. "What about you? What's your favorite food?" I ask. He pauses. "I like muffins. Banana nut muffins." He says. "I've never had them." I say. His eyes go wide. "You have never had banana nut muffins?" He asks, shocked. I bite my lip and shake my head. "Oh man. Your missing out." He says. "You have to come by the bakery sometimes." He says, grinning. "I would but..." I sneak a glance at him. He's watching me with a sparkle in his flawless blue eyes. I bite my lip to keep from smiling and start to fiddle with his fingers. "I don't know where the bakery is." I finish. He laughs. "You know that place next to the Starbucks Finnick works at?" He asks. I pause. "No way! That bakery between Starbucks and Dunkin doughnuts?" I ask. "That's your bakery?" "It is indeed." He says. Oh god. I love him so much.

I'm scared for the next chapter. You guys are going to kill me. Lets just say this...they're taking after their parents...  
10 points to whoever guesses it! Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games. -KatPeeta22 


	8. Chapter 8

ATTENTION: people are trying to get rid of Fanfics. Theres a petition going around to get rid of them. The ones on here, watpadd, Instagram. OH HELL NO DO NOT SIGN THE PETITION! LETS TAKE THEM ASSHOLES DOWN. Oh god...here we go:

Months flew by and before I knew it, it was October 12th, Peeta's birthday. The entire family is here again. Now, everyone in the entire universe knows I can't cook. So that's why, when I burn the cake, Peeta snickers. "You burnt to cake?" He asks. I give him an irritated look. Oh, and lets not forget I'm on my cycle, so I'm snippy. I go to get it out with my bare hands, stopping when he makes a strangled cry and swats my hand away, getting oven mitts and pulling it out. He sets it on the stove? Trying so hard not to laugh. The entire thing is black. There's not an ounce of white cake. The entire house smells burnt. Lucky enough, everyone is in the living room. It's cold out now. Snowing some days. "Lets just scrape the black off." He suggests. "I don't want to scrape the black off!" I say angrily. I'm pissed because I wanted this cake to be perfect. Just once, I wanted to do something productive. "Oh come on, are you honestly angry right now?" He asks, his smile falling. I cross my arms. "Yes. I am." I say. He sighs. "Look, we can just scrape off the black. Nobody will know but us!" He suggests. I glare intently at him. "Just once, I wanted to be able to fucking so something, and the one time I try, I fuck it up!" It's taking everything inside me not to shout. "You didn't fuck it-" "Yes I did!" I burst, my voice raising slightly, loud enough for everyone in the living room to stop talking. "No you really didn't. It's as simple as taking a knife and-" "And scraping it off. Oh. That's great. But I still fucked it up, Peeta!" I say. "Listen, I'm just trying to help you-" "Well it's not fucking working." I hiss. I'm so angry I have tears welling in my eyes. "Well them I'll stop trying. Because everything I seem to do lately doesn't work." He says, his jaw clenched, his eyes going black. "Good. Stop fucking trying. I'll just leave. Get out of you hair and never see you again!" I burst, louder now. "Katniss-" he begins, actual tears filling in his eyes. I've never seen him cry. "No. You said your gonna stop trying. Let me just make it easier. Lets just break up." He tries to grab my hand but I turn around and head for the door. Everyone looks shocked. I grab my bag and leave, slamming the door behind me. I rush to my car as I dig my keys out of my purse.

I just manage to stumble into my apartment before I break down, locking both locks behind me, even though both Finn and Annie have both keys. I stumble into my bedroom, falling onto my bed, hysterical. What have I done?

Uh...yeah...I'm on a school bus riding to school as I wrote this and I have tears in my eyes and trying not to cry. Don't kill me. Review please Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games -KatPeeta22 


	9. Chapter 9

i understand this is extreamly short. okay, so as you can see, the grammer is incorrect. the program i'm using types it correctly, but for some reason, it changes when i upload and i dont know how to fix it, i do apologize.

I wake up in my bed, which is wet from my tears. I woke to the front door slamming. It's Finn and Annie. "We're not here to give you sympathy." Finn says angrily. I stand up. "That's good. I don't want any sympathy because I'm an asshole and feel bad for Peeta for spending all these months with me. I feel bad for anyone spending time with me." I say. "Good. Well don't expect to see us again. You broke his heart and your own. And you haven't done anything to fix it." Annie says. Great. Now because of my fucked up actions, I'm losing them too. More tears slip from my eyes but I don't say anything. They both give me sorrowful looks and then leave. I go right back to sobbing. Now, because of me, I've lost my boyfriend and my two best friends. God I wish I didn't have such a damn temper. Fuck me.

I understand that is was extremely short. Next chapter will be...a realization? Idk how to explain without spoiling it. Disclaimer: I don't own anything -KatPeeta22 


	10. Chapter 10

Here.

This is gonna suck.  
I have nobody anymore.  
I'm better, I guess. I shower and eat all three meals.  
It's two days before thanksgiving and I'm walking into the airport to go to my parents.  
I haven't talked to Peeta, heard from Peeta or anything.  
But I do know, from a rumor, that Peeta moved out of the state.  
And for some reason, Peeta's family still wants me around.  
So that means that I'm spending thanksgiving, against my will, with my family and Peeta's family.  
I haven't heard from Finn and Annie. But I know from Mom that they're gonna be there.  
We're still the closest thing they have to family.  
God I don't even bother to try and act like I'm okay, simply because I'm not.  
I fucked up so bad, and have almost gone to Peeta's house in multiple occasions.  
I drive past his house every day, but two weeks ago, my heart shattered even more when the unmistakable "for sale" sign was put front on the lawn.  
I'm bony and don't care, I'm emotionless now, except for my nightly breakdown.  
It's fine though, I'm used to it now. I deserve it anyways.  
This plane ride is gonna suck.  
This whole vacation is gonna suck. And then I'm gonna come home all lonely, just like before.

...

"You look like shit." Is the first thing Jo says when she sees me.  
It's snowing outside.  
All Peeta's family, all my family, Finn, Annie, everyone. They're all here.  
Except for the one I miss like crazy but knew he wouldn't show up.  
I sigh.  
"You guys know I don't want to be here, right?" I ask.  
"Yeah, but we really don't care." Mom says.  
You know what's fucked up? The Mellark's are here with me, when they should be with Peeta.  
I broke his heart and they're acting like they don't even care.  
"No Katniss, you look really bad." Jo says. She never uses my name. She looks concerned. "You really skinny and your voice is weak and that look that shows love and happiness, that sparkle, it's gone."  
I still don't say anything.  
"What would Peeta say?" She asks.  
Damn her.  
Everyone stiffens.  
They've been planning this. To bring him up just to see my reaction.  
I snap my eyes up to hers.  
I clench my jaw to keep from sobbing.  
I can't stop the tears from forming in my eyes.  
And I don't bother to stop them from spilling.  
I quickly drop my gaze.  
"I don't know." I whisper. I sniff.  
Yes I do. I know Peeta. I know exactly what he would do.  
Even though I broke his heart, if he saw me right now, he'd be ashamed.  
He may even cry.  
He would hug me and then feed me and make sure I bathe.  
He wouldn't even care that I hurt him. That's just who Peeta is.  
"Katniss," it's Annie this time.  
She gently tugs my chin up so I am looking at her. "What would Peeta do?"  
"He would be ashamed, no matter how depressed I made him, he would be ashamed. He would push down all his emotions and help me." I say.  
"And what would you do? If it was Peeta?" Mrs. Mellark whispers.  
I sigh.  
"The exact same. Because I love him too much not to do anything." I whisper.  
They all sigh, overly relived.  
"You love him." Finn whispers.  
"Of course I love him. Breaking up with him was the biggest mistake of my life and I'll never forgive myself. And I probably won't get married either, because my heart is set on one person." I whisper.  
More tears come and I wipe them.  
Mom has tears, so does Mrs. Mellark, and most of the other girls.  
"Katniss." Prim whispers. "What are you doing then?"  
"Yeah. Honestly." Finn says.  
More tears come and I struggle to contain myself from breaking down. Again.  
"What would you do, if Peeta was listening right now? What if we set you up, forcing both of you to come here, just so we could get you to talk and make him listen." Haymitch says quietly.  
"And then if we left for...an hour? And gave you guys some time?" Mr. Mellark adds, all of them eying me carefully.  
I snap my eyes up to look at him.  
"Are you saying what I think your saying?" I ask, for the first time in almost two months, feeling a tiny shred of hope.  
"What would you do? If you saw Peeta right now?" Cinna presses.  
I think this through throughly, just in case he is actually listening.  
I open my mouth to speak and then close it again, biting my lip and then releasing it.  
"I would...tell him that I'm sorry I was such an asshole. I'm sorry I burnt the cake, even though he'll probably just laugh, which I miss so much, I'll tell him how much I love him and how much it hurts without him. And I'll tell him that you never realize how much you actually love someone until you lose them." I say. "And I'll tell him I'm sorry for destroying his birthday." I add.  
"Well. What do you say we go out?" Mrs. Mellark suggests.  
I stare at them.  
"Wait. I wanna see this first." Prim says.  
Everyone nods.  
Rye gets up and walks off.  
I hear hushed whispers and my heart starts racing, my palms start sweating and I drop my gaze.  
Someone whispers something and I hear an angry sigh.  
The sharp intake of breath is unmistakable.  
I slowly lift my gaze.  
He looks the same. Well...kind of.  
His blue eyes are lights, duller, the sparkle is gone from his eyes.  
He has bags under his eyes, but he's still just as perfect as I remember.  
We both stay completely silent.  
"How sweet." Prim whispers.  
With that, they all walk out.  
Finn pauses and turns to me.  
"Please don't mess this up. Don't lose your temper. And don't lie. You need him, Kitty. Be smart, please. I may have left you, but I want you to be happy. I'm coming back. It's killing Annie and I. I love you, be smart." He kisses my cheek and then leaves, shutting the door softly behind him.  
I have been planning this in my head for I don't know how long, and now that the moment is here, my mind blanks out.  
I bite my lip.  
He sighs and shoves his hands in his pocket, watching me silently.  
I play through every way to say this in my head.  
I open my mouth and close it multiple times, struggling.  
Even though this is supposed to be serious, a small chuckle escapes his lips.  
God dammit I can't think. Damn my ADD kicking in.  
"Okay I'm just gonna wing this because I really can't think straight." I begin.  
He stays across the living room, my by the door.  
"I fucked up. Big time. I got moody and destroyed not only your birthday, but both our hearts. Being without you is killing me. I miss you. Your laugh, your smile, your eyes, the way you annoy me because you think it's cute when I'm irritated." I say. "And you know what? I miss the way you told me to scrape the burnt part off that cake. And I would have done it, but I got snippy and freaked out." I say. "And I'm sorry. I will forever regret the day I walked away. That's the biggest mistake I've ever made. That's the biggest mistake I will ever make in my entire lifetime. If I murdered someone, that wouldn't even come close." I say. "And I'm so sorry. And...I never stopped loving you." I still don't feel like that's good enough.  
I won't lie when I say I wrote a song for this.  
And I know Prim has a guitar in her room.  
But I never sing in front of people. Nobody really knows I've got a bit of talent in the music department.  
He watches me.  
I head for the stairs.  
He looks panicked.  
"I'll be right back." I say.  
I jog into Prim's room and grab her guitar.  
I strum the strings to make sure they're perfectly in tune and go back downstairs.  
He looks confused.  
"I don't feel like what I said was enough to explain and apologize and show you what I'm really getting at and I had a lot of um...time on my hands, so I sorta wrote a song..."  
I sit down on the couch and he remains standing. His hands are still in his pockets.  
He takes them out and runs a hand through his hair, crossing them.  
I'm so nervous.  
I clear my throat and start to strum, then sing.

Suppose I called you up tonight  
And told you that I love you  
And suppose I said I wanna come back home  
And suppose I cried and said I think I've finally learned my lesson  
And I'm tired of spending all my time alone  
If I told you that I realized you're all I ever wanted  
And it's killing me to be so far away  
Would you tell me that you love me too  
And would we cry together  
Or would you simply laugh at me and say

I'm crying, but I keep going.

I told you so  
Oh, I told you so  
I told you someday you'd come crawling back and asking me to take you in  
I told you so  
But you had to go  
Now I've found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again

If I got down on my knees and told you I was yours forever  
Would you get down on yours too and take my hand  
Would we get that old time feeling  
Would we laugh and talk for hours  
The way we did when our love first began  
Would you tell me that you've missed me too  
And that you've been so lonely  
And you've waited for the day that I returned  
And we'd live and love forever  
And that I'm your one and only  
Or would you say the tables finally turned

Would you say I told you so  
Oh, I told you so  
I told you someday you'd come crawling back and asking me to take you in  
I told you so  
But you had to go  
Now I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again

Now I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again

It's everything in me not to sob hysterically, to the point where I throw up.  
I've done that on multiple occasions. I get up and go back upstairs, putting Prim's guitar back.  
I go back down, wiping my tears.  
His arms have fallen to his sides, his face locked in an unreadable emotion.  
I can't say anything else. I can't. I practically just asked him if I could have a second chance.  
"I didn't know you could sing." He whispers.  
I shrug.  
"Me either. Nobody really knows. Except you." I mumble.  
He looks at me intensely.  
"I'm sorry too." He says.  
I furrow my eyebrows.  
"You didn't do anything wrong." I say.  
"Katniss, building up a relationship takes two, fucking up a relationship takes to. Maintaining a relationship takes two. There is no relationship without a you and I." He says.  
"Maybe but you still didn't do anything wrong." I say quietly.  
"Lets just agree to disagree. Dwelling on this will get us nowhere." He says.  
Us.  
I wipe my tears again.  
"I'm sorry for laughing when you burnt the cake." He says. He snorts. "We were so angry at our parents for not being friends over something so stupid, but look at us. We're broken up over a cake." He says. "We're just like them and we don't even know it." He says.  
Noes my chance.  
"But we don't have to be. We can fix us. We can get back together and I swear to you I'll work my ass off to make sure you, and maybe one day our children are happy for the rest of your and theirs lives." I say. "Please. All I'm asking is for my boyfriend back." I whisper, willing myself not to break down for the umpteenth time today.  
"All I want is you." He whispers. "Your all I've ever wanted. I just didn't realize how much until I lost you for the second time." He says.  
I stare at him hopefully.  
"So...?" I ask.  
"So yes. Yes I want you back." He says.  
I smile. Boy am I glad I've been keeping my hygiene up, keeping myself washed and my teeth brush.  
My smile starts out small and then slowly grows.  
"So...we're good?" I whisper.  
"We're good," he confirms.  
We're silent, staring at each other for almost ten minutes.  
It's had to he at least forty minutes now, since I took almost twenty just to find out what to say.  
We both begin to fidget.  
When it gets down to one minute before the hours up, and I hear the car doors slam, I lunch into his arms, my legs locking around his waist, locking our lips hungrily.  
I've missed his lips too. They're so soft and sweet and gently and sends fire through my body, goosebumps raised on edge.  
I never want to be more then reachable away from him.  
He knows that. He must.  
He tightens his grip on me.  
I hear several gasps and the front door shuts again.  
I laugh softly against his lips, while he smiles.  
I'm still in my jacket and boots.  
And so is he.  
"Do you really want to be stuck in the house with them, with all the questioning and assumptions?" I whisper.  
"No but we should at least thank them." He murmers.  
"Can't we do that later?"  
He grins.  
"Alright."  
I hesitantly hop off of him. He entwines our fingers and wait.  
I walk out back. We both smile a little at the sight of the snow covered oak tree.  
There's a forest behind my house...well my parents house.  
There's this place my Dad took me on the worst days I was upset about Peeta as a child, and I wanna take Peeta there.  
I head for the forest and Peeta stops, hesitant.  
"It's alright," I say calmly.  
He slowly, reluctantly, starts to follow me again.  
We walk through the forest, in silence for the most part.  
"You know just because we're older doesn't mean they're not gonna freak out." He says.  
I shrug.  
"Your twenty one. I'm twenty. They're gonna have to deal." I say.  
He smirks but remains silent.  
We're almost there, about an hour later.  
"Can I um...get on your back so I can cover your eyes?" I ask shyly.  
"You don't have to ask." He says.  
I hop onto his back and place my hands over his eyes.  
"Okay, just walk forwards. There's gonna be some branches hitting you, just ignore them." I warn.  
He start to walk forwards, running into the branches.  
He does exactly what I said.  
It looks the same, except for the layer of snow on the ground.  
"Okay," I whisper. "Don't open your eyes till I tell you to." I whisper.  
He nods.  
I jump off him.  
"Okay. Open."  
He opens his eyes.  
There's a lake in the forest with an old run down hut next to it and for miles around us is a meadow that's filled with purple flowers in the spring and summer.  
He looks around in amazement.  
"It's so beautiful." He says.  
The lake is frozen and covered in snow.  
He starts to walk around.  
I let out a strangled cry when he places his foot on the ice, grabbing his arm and jerking him backward.  
"What? What is it?" He asks, frantic.  
I bend down and sweep away the snow with my hand, revealing the extremely thin ice.  
"Oh," he says.  
"Yeah. We're uh at a lake, actually." I say. "And a huge meadow, the is all purple flowers. But there's always one dandilion right about-" I sprint across the meadow, which is huge and stop right in the middle. "Here!" I shout.  
He jogs over to me.  
"How do you remember that?" He asks.  
"Because when I was little, after you moved, Dad used to take me out here when I was really upset and it was the worst day. I remember he would fish while I sat right-" I tap a spot on the ground. "Here." I say. "I would sit there and inspect that flower. I wondered why there was a random yellow flower in the middle of a purple field. I would wonder what would happen if I picked it." I say.  
He watches silently, a small smile forming on his lips.  
"And one day, I did." I say. "And then I got so mad at myself because I thought it wasn't gonna grow back. I cried all day and Mom tried to help me keep in alive till next spring. She knew it was gonna grow back and she knew that flower wasn't gonna stay alive. But then when I went back the next spring, the flower was back." I whisper, smiling at the memory. "My Mom actually took a video of my reaction. I think I cried, actually, I was so happy." I say.  
He reaches out and tucks some hair behind my ear.  
"Why dandelions? What's so special about them?" He asks.  
Does he not remember?  
"It was you." I whisper.  
He looks confused.  
"When we were four, my grandparents got into a car accident and I cried and cried. You came over one day and saw my crying. You ran outside and got a dandelion. You gave it to me. You said 'to remember them'." I say. "And it reminded me of you."  
He's thinking hard, his face scrunched up in concentration.  
"I think that little flower helped me through everything. Without even realizing it."  
I'm making it clear that the "little flower" is him.  
I feel tears well in my eyes and I struggle not to let them spill, but they do.  
He pulls me against his chest, hugging me tightly.  
It was only a few tears, then I was done.  
He and I both knew I was done crying but neither one of us move from the others arms.  
It's a long time before we even move, and by a long time, I mean an hour and a half.  
He reluctantly pulls away.  
It's starting to snow and its getting windy.  
We could be getting a blizzard.  
"We should go." He whispers.  
I nod, silent.  
I grab his hand and head back.

...

We walk in the back door. They're all chatting and laughing, happy.  
The second the door slams though, they fall dead silent.  
Their eyes flit between the two of us, the snow which is now thick and dangerous, and then our linked hands.  
I hold up our linked hands.  
"Uh...thanks." I say.  
"For what, hon?" Mom asks.  
"For this. We really couldn't have done it without you guys..." Peeta trails off.  
I can tell Mom and Mrs. Mellark are struggling not to cry.  
They look at each other and then at the same time, burst into tears and run at us, Mom hugging me and Mrs. Mellark hugging Peeta.  
I awkwardly pat her back.  
Mom pulls away, once again at the same time as Mrs. Mellark.  
Peeta and I enhance a look, struggling not to laugh.  
"Why are you crying, exactly?" I ask, laughter evident in my voice.  
"I don't know but I can't stop!" She sobs.  
Both of them walk off to the bathroom.  
Jo gets up, walks over to me, slaps me and them smirks.  
"Fuck up again and I fuck you up." She snarls, hugging me and then Peeta.  
She goes back to her seat.  
Finn gives Peeta a boy hug and then turns to me, hugging me like he hugs Annie.  
"I'm willing to come back. If you'll let me." He whispers in my ear.  
I nod.  
"Of course." I say.  
He releases me.  
My Mom comes out.  
"Katniss, I have to talk to you." She says. Her voice is authorative and I know that's the "don't fucking argue and just do what I say" look. Her eyes flicker to Peeta. "And Peeta too, actually."  
Everyone looks concerned, but Prim, who just looks normal.  
I silently follow her upstairs with Peeta behind me.  
She leads us into the office and turn to us, tears in her eyes.  
"I need your help." She says, pleading.  
"Okay. What's wrong?" I ask nervously.  
She points to the computer screen.  
I frown and look at her and then walk over, Peeta behind me.  
I can see 'Everdeen, Maria Primrose' in the top corner.  
I frown and lower my eyes.  
I see all Prim's seven teachers and then look to the right.  
20% F  
0% F  
11% F  
0% F  
26% F  
13% F  
0% F  
My heart drops and tears fill my own eyes.  
Prim's a senior. And she's failing all her classes.  
Peeta sees the tears in my eyes and then looks at the computer screen.  
His eyes widen.  
"What the hell is this?" I whisper.  
Prim goes to a fundamental school. If you don't turn your homework in, you get two demerits and no points, getting half credit on the next day, if you don't get your homework signed, you get one demerit and still get points. F you get five demerits in one class in one marking period, you get a 5 demerit slip, where you go to the guidance counselor and get talked to.  
If you get another 5 demerit slip, you get IAC and then you and both parents have to go to a meeting with you where they decide to kick you out of put you on probation.  
Peeta doesn't understand.  
I look back at the screen.  
She has 11 demerits in gym.  
GYM!  
The only way to get demerits is if you don't dress out!  
She has at least two demerits in every class.  
The tears start slipping down my cheeks.  
"She's gonna get kicked out." I whisper.  
"I know. When we go back downstairs, we're all, all the adults and kids, are sitting her down and talking to her." Mom whispers.  
"Wait why's she gonna get kicked out?" Peeta asks.  
Mom starts to explain the fundament program.  
She has all the teachers I had.  
I was a straight A student. They'll remember me.  
I don't say anything has I grab a printer paper and write down her schedule.  
This town is so small everyone knows everyone and we all know where each other lives.  
And I'm going to visit a few of my old teachers.  
"I'm going to talk to her teachers." I say.  
"Now?" Mom asks.  
"Right now." I say.  
"Katniss you don't even know them." She says.  
"Uh yeah I do. I had all these teachers." I say.  
"Can you please just wait till we're done talking to her?" She pleads.  
"Mom please. I just need to go over there it won't take long." I say.  
She sighs.  
"Alright. Okay fine." She says.  
"Don't start talking without me." I say.  
"We wouldn't anyways. Your Prim's role model. She listens to you more than anyone." Mom says.  
I sigh and walk downstairs.  
"What's wrong?" Prim asks.  
"Nothing." I say.  
"Your crying. You have tears on your cheeks." She says.  
"Well nothing's wrong." I say.  
She stares at me.  
Everyone knows damn well what's wrong.  
"Well I'm going out for a while..." I trail off.  
"Can I go?" She asks.  
"No."  
"Where are you going?" She presses.  
"Dammit Prim!" I burst. "I'm going out!"  
I snatch my phone off the coffee table and storm out of the house.  
First place is Mrs. Alexander for English 4.  
She lives two houses down.  
I walk down the street.  
There's a few cars in the driveway and I remember these teachers are on break too.  
I sigh and knock on the door.  
I hear laughter and the small patter of feet and then the door is open by a man.  
"Yes?" He asks.  
"Hi um...is Mrs. Alexander here?" I ask.  
He nods and puts up a finger.  
"Debra!" He calls. He smiles at me. "She'll be just a moment."  
He closes the door.  
I stand there awkwardly.  
I fold Prim's schedule and put it in my back pocket.  
The door opens and Mrs. Alexander's eyes widen.  
"Katniss Everdeen! Well I'll be!" She says.  
"Hi Mrs. A." I say.  
She gently hugs me.  
There's children running around, laughing in the background. Her grand kids. She used to tell us all about them.  
"What can I do for you?" She asks.  
I sigh.  
"Do you have some time? I kind of need to talk to you. I can come back later though." I say.  
"Sure, sure, come in." She steps aside and allows me into her home.  
She leads me to the kitchen where it's quiet.  
"What can I do for you?" She asks.  
"You have my little sister in your class. Primrose?" I ask.  
Her jaw goes slack.  
"Prim is your sister? I expected better from her. Especially if she's related to you." She says.  
"Yeah um...so did I." I say.  
She gives me a sorry look.  
"We're about to have a huge talk to her and hopefully whip her back into shape. Can you tell me why she's failing? She'll probably lie." I ask.  
"Well...I'm not quite sure. She doesn't turn in any of her work, she texts the whole class and has had detention multiple times." She says. "I have a feeling she gets it but just doesn't want to do it." She says.  
I sigh.  
"Hence the reason she's failing all her classes...she's not doing her homework because she doesn't want to." I say. "Just like me. I messed up the first semester and fixed it in the end." I say.  
"Exactly like you." She says.  
"Okay. That's all." I say.  
She smiles.  
"Alright then. It was good to see you." I smile and nod.  
"You too." I walk out.  
Now that I think about it, I really don't need to see the rest of her teachers. I know exactly what's going through Prim's mind because it went through mine for all of high school except for the last year of senior year.  
And I know what this 'intervention' is going to be like, because I had one myself.  
I walk back in the front door and everyone looks up.  
All the seats are taken so I sort of fidget.  
Everyone is staring at me expectantly.  
Audrey gets up out of her seat next to Jessica and sits against her Mom's legs.  
I sit down. I'm in the middle between Jessica on my right and Peeta on my left.  
Everyone is sitting very formal, silent.  
Mom raises her eyebrows at me.  
She wants me to start.  
I sit back, propping my feet up on the coffee table.  
She knows what the say to me and when to say it. She knows when she's about to get in trouble with me.  
"So Prim's goes school going?" I ask, sounding genuinely curious.  
I can lie great unless its to Finn, Annie, Jo and Peeta.  
She grins.  
"Great. Straight A's." she says.  
Ha. Liar.  
I smile.  
"Really? I didn't know F and A were the same letter!" I say.  
Her faces falls.  
Everyone remains silent. Mom obviously told them to let me talk to her first to see where we get. If she keeps it up, then we all start in on her.  
She doesn't say anything, she just stares at me.  
"So I just got back from seeing Mrs. Alexander." I say calmly.  
"What the fuck! Why!" She bursts.  
I don't shout at her. I know that's just gonna piss her off.  
"Because your failing." I say. "And I wants to know why. I didn't bother asking you because I knew you'd just lie about it. So now I know that your not doing homework. I know about the IAC. All the classes that you have nothing other than F's in." I say calmly.  
She sighs.  
"Why does it matter? I hate high school. You wouldn't understand." She waves me off.  
She was thirteen when I fucked up and I think she was at her friends house, so she doesn't remember.  
I pause, thinking my words through.  
"Prim, let me tell you something." I say.  
She clenches her jaw and sits back.  
"When I was fourteen and went into ninth grade, I stopped giving a fuck about school. I didn't care. School was my personal hell. I hated it. So, my solution to what I stupidly thought was torture, was to stop doing my homework. So I did. I stopped doing homework. And then I started to fail. The only points I had were all participation because I didn't do shit. I knew everything about it, everything about what I was doing. I just didn't care. So I stopped testing. I just put random answers. I stopped caring." I say.  
Everyone looks shocked. Well not my parents and Finn and Annie and Haymitch and Jo. They know because they're were all my intervention.  
"I failed ninth grade, I failed tenth, I failed eleventh, and you know what, I almost failed twelfth. I kept up my actions until right now, three years ago. Then one day, when you were thirteen, you went to your friends house. Finn, Annie, Mom, Dad, Haymitch and Johanna sat me down and made me realize something." I say.  
She doesn't say anything.  
"Do you know what they made me realize, Prim?" I whisper.  
She shakes her head.  
"They made me realize that high school reflects badly on your life. It makes you look terrible in colleges. High school is the start to the rest of your life. High school gets you into goofs colleges. Good colleges and good grades gets you into good jobs." I say. "Good jobs get you money. Money gets you a house. A car. A phone. Food. Electricity." I whisper. "Then you can start to do whatever you want. You have your own life. Your own money. And eventually, one day, a family." I say. "All because of school." I whisper. "After I realized that...I won't lie when I say I was scared shitless." A few people chuckle. "So I started studying. I started doing my homework. I started saying no to my friends because I knew damn well I had a test the next day. I did my projects." I say. "And then I had straight A's." I say. I pause and walk to the book shelf.  
I grab my yearbook and go to Prim, leaning over the back if the chair and flipping to the page.  
I point to the words.  
"See? Most improved. I fucked up big time. And then I fixed it." I say, shutting the yearbook and sitting back down. "Prim, I know your extremely pissed right now. I know all the swear words under the sun are shooting through your head right now, but I promise I'm not trying to piss you off. I really just want the best for you. If your having trouble in anything, you can come to me. I know all your teachers will help you because I had every one of them." I say.  
I see panic in her eyes.  
She gets up and runs upstairs, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
Mom gets up to go after her.  
"Don't. It's sinking in." I say, crossing my ankles.  
"Was the story actually true?" Peeta asks.  
"Yeah." I say.  
I get my yearbook again and sit back down.  
Finn and Annie come up behind me.  
"I haven't looked at this thing in forever." Annie says.  
I sigh and lean against Peeta.  
"Me either." I say, flipping through the page.  
"Oh man I hated her!" Annie says.  
I wrinkle my nose.  
"Delly Cartwright. The school prick." I say.  
"You have to admit she was hot." Finn says.  
"She was not!" I say.  
Peeta tilts his head to the side.  
"She is kinda hot." He says.  
Him and Finn start laughing and they high five while Annie and I just roll our eyes.  
We keep flipping through the pages when Peeta stops me.  
"But she's much better." He says, winking me at.  
I look at the picture and see me.  
I giggle a bit and flip the page.  
"Whoa! Did Katniss Everdeen just giggle?" Jo says.  
Peeta furrows his eyebrows.  
"Katniss giggles all the time." He says, confused.  
A light blush starts to appear on my cheeks.  
"From what?" Rye says, nudging Graham and raising his eyebrows, Graham nudges Justice and Justice nudges Kegan.  
Of course they think about sex when Peeta says I giggle all the time.  
"Not that." Peeta says.  
"Well I've certainly never heard Katniss giggle." Haymitch says, sniggering.  
Everyone old enough to get why this is funny starts laughing.  
I keep my gaze solely on the yearbook.  
"Katniss?" Peeta asks.  
I slowly lift my gaze to his. His eyes are dark blue. Dark blue is just and love.  
"Do you only giggle around me?" He whispers in my ear. I blush deeper.  
"Um...yeah." I mumble.  
The laughter cuts off that the exact same time.  
I turn around.  
Prim is standing behind me with a ton of textbooks.  
She drops them on my lap.  
"Help." She says, not asking.  
"I can help you with everything but Art." I say.  
I slide off the couch, arranging all the books on the coffee table.  
"What am I helping you with?" I ask.  
She fidgets.  
I sigh knowing she doesn't know.  
"Okay...give me the most complicated equation you can do and get right." I say.  
I go to the bookshelf and get a whiteboard and then another one, going back to Prim and taking out all her expo markers.  
I don't even need a calculator.  
"What's your subject you struggle the most in?" I ask.  
"Math." She answers easily.  
Perfect.y best subject.  
"Okay well I know for a fact that Mrs. Capella gave you a shitload of math work over break." I say.  
She nods.  
"Planner." I say.  
She grabs it out of a stack and flips to the page she wrote her homework in.  
I grab her Algebra textbook.  
I try so hard not to laugh because I know she's struggling and I'd probably break someone's hand for laughing at something I find hard.  
"See! What the fuck is X? That doesn't even make sense!" She bursts.  
Okay apparently she's been struggling for a while.  
She doesn't know what X is.  
"Prim. Are you guys doing review?" I ask.  
"Yes." She says. "And then we have a two hundred point on it on Wendesday." She says.  
"This Wendesday?" I ask.  
"Yes." She says.  
I pause. I look at the time on my phone.  
It's three. Mrs. Alexander could he home if she went to work.  
"You guys don't have a week off for Thansgiving?" I ask.  
"Only on Thursday and Firday and the weekend obviously." She says.  
It's Tuesday.  
"Prim tomorrow's Wendesday." I say.  
Tomorrow she has a 200 point test. And she doesn't know what X is.  
"How many questions are on this test exactly?" I ask carefully.  
"Um...100. Two points each." She says.  
"And they're all on this?" I ask.  
She nods.  
I sigh and start to write down the first problem.  
"Is part of the reason your not doing shit because you don't get it?" I ask.  
"That's why for math. For the rest I just don't do it."  
I can tell she's telling the truth.  
I sigh.  
"Okay. 23X+11= 80." I say.  
She writes it on her white board.  
"Now show me what you think it is." I say, taking the calculator my Mom is holding out to me and handing it to Prim.  
I don't need a calculator.  
She's quiet for a few minutes and then shows me the problem.  
She got 144.  
I narrow my eyes slightly.  
Oh wow. She added 80, 11, 23.  
Oh shit.  
"Erase it." I say calmly, writing down the problem on my board.  
I stare at my board, finding the answer in two seconds.  
"Okay." I say when she's got the problem written down. "First, do you know what this kind of problem this is?" I ask.  
"One step equation." She says, looking at me.  
"Right." I say. "Okay, so what's the opposite of addition?" I ask.  
"Subtraction." She says.  
"Right. So eighty minus eleven." I say, putting -11 underneath the underneath 80.  
She puts 69.  
"Okay. So the answers sixty nine." She says.  
"No it's not." I say. "Because we still have 23X."  
"What's x!" She bursts.  
"X stands for a number." I say. She looks irritated.  
"What's 69 divided by 23?" I ask.  
"Three." She says.  
"Right. So x=three." I say.  
"That makes no sense!" She shouts, pissed.  
"Okay," I say, frustrated. I run a hand through my hair. "What's 23 times 3?" I ask.  
"69." She says through her teeth.  
"Plus eleven." I say.  
"Eighty." She says.  
I erase my white board.  
"Watch." I say.  
She sighs and watches as I write, talking it out to her at the same time.  
"23 times 3 plus eleven equals eighty." I say.  
She nods.  
So I have 23•3+11=80  
I then right underneath I put 23x+11=80.  
"Okay Prim. 23x means 23 times X. Since we didn't know what X was, we have to find out. So we did 11 minus 80 which is 69. Then we took the 23 to unnatach it from x and divided it by 69. We got three." I say.  
I put a multiplication sign and circle it, drawing an arrow and pointing it between 23 and X. I then put X=23 and circle it.  
She better get it, because if she doesn't, I'm gonna ducking scream. I'm not very good at describing it.  
She sighs.  
"I'm confused." She says.  
I clench my jaw to keep from screaming in frustration.  
Peeta gives me one glance, reads me and slips off the couch, on Prim's other side.  
"Okay, watch." He says.  
I don't fucking get how he can be so damn calm.  
"Lets use another problem." He says.  
I hand him my white board and marker.  
1X+2=4  
I would laugh at how easy he made this if I wasn't so frustrated.  
Prim stares at it.  
"But how can you get four if your adding two and one?" She demands. "That's three." She says.  
"How many more do you need to get four?" Peeta asks.  
"One." She says.  
"Right. Now watch." He says. "If you take 4 and subtract it from 2, you get 2. If you divide 2 by one then you get one." He says while writing it. He watches her. "Do you get it?" He asks.  
"I...think so." She says.  
He sighs and erases the problem.  
He writes a new one. 5X-20=100  
Prim does what we've showed her.  
80 plus 20 is 100. Then she divides 5 and gets 20.  
"Yes!" Both Peeta and I exclaim at the same time, high fiveing her.  
I can see she's happy.  
We keep giving her problems and she gets them all right.  
"Wait. What about this." I say.  
I get up and lean over Peeta, my shirt resting on his head because its a loose long sleeve shirt that's supposed to have a tank top underneath but doesn't.  
So I'm kinda flashing Finn and Annie, who both snicker, shaking their heads  
The three of us are in our own little world.  
I gently pluck the marker from Peeta and write 8X=1040  
Prim goes to intense.  
"Okay, look." I say. "Imagine you don't have the plus or minus something. Or you already did it. Then what do you do?" I ask.  
"Divide the number attached to X." She says.  
"Exactly." I say.  
"130?" She asks.  
Peeta looks up at me.  
I reach in my back pocket and lean down so I'm typing in front of him.  
"Yup." I say.  
It's only one step, which shocks me with seniors.  
Eventually Mom comes up and hands us three plates of dinner.  
We eat while moving on to Chemistry.  
That takes three hours.  
After we finish art, Peeta starts to look a little tired.  
We get the basement to ourselves. The basement is like another house under a house. You could live in there. That could be your home.  
Everyone's gone to bed. We had to be working on math for five hours. And then three hours and we still have a ton of other subjects. Prim has to be up at six. It's midnight.  
"Peeta baby, why don't you go down to bed?" I suggest.  
He yawns.  
"But..." He gives me a pained look, obviously wanting me with him.  
"I'll be there in a bit." I say.  
He still looks hesitant. Prim is working on American Government.  
I give him a loving kiss. "I promise." I whisper.  
He sighs and stands up.  
"Alright. Night." He says.  
It gets really really cold in the basement and if your sleeping alone its gonna suck.  
Prim and I keep going.  
We take an hour for each subject. Its three in the morning now, when we finish.  
I'm so tired and so is Prim.  
"Please make sure to pay attention in class today." I say at the door to the basement, her at the door to upstairs, me down.  
"I promise."  
She disappears upstairs.  
I go down, shutting the door silently behind me.  
I strip into my bra and underwear and them pull in sweatpants and long sleeves.  
I plug my phone into charge and then slip in next to Peeta.  
Even though he's dead asleep, he reaches for me, pulling me against him and wrapping his arms around me, sighing into my hair.  
I sigh back into his chest.  
I've missed this.

So yeah that was quick. Well I made it seem like it was quick but really it was a month or so.  
PM I guess.  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything  
-KatPeeta22 


	11. Chapter 11

THERE IS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR LAST NIGHTS SEASON FIANLE OF PRETTY LITTLE LIARS  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

I wake up alone, panicked tears filling my eyes.  
If that was just some nasty ass dream of me getting Peeta back, I swear to god I'll kill myself.  
I'm in the basement, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was real. I could have come and talked to the adult and then he could have not been here and then I passed out from crying.  
That's actually possible. I've done that before.  
I get up and take my fingers through my hair, going into the bathroom which is in the basement and brush my teeth and then head upstairs, trying not to freak out.  
The whole family is here except the kids.  
I go to Peeta and sit in his lap, burying my head in his shoulder.  
He places a gentle kiss on my neck, causing me to shudder.  
"Are you okay?" He whispers.  
I shrug, not quite sure.  
He draws back, forcing me to stare him in the eyes.  
"Katniss." He says. We both already look better. He looks behind me at everyone watching us. "Come here," he mumbles.  
I stand up and he stands up, taking my hand and pulling me down to the basement, locking the door behind himself.  
He leads me to the bed and slides under the covers, laying down.  
I slide next to him.  
I out  
My head on his chest, directly over his heart.  
"Peeta." I mumble, playing with his fingers.  
"Hmm?" He mumbles.  
"Where do you live now?"  
I'm scared to hear the answer.  
"Washington."  
That's clear across the country.  
"And I can't leave for at least a few months." He says. "To complete the bakery." He says.  
I sigh. I'm willing to do anything to keep him mine.  
He pauses and clears his throat.  
"You could um...come stay with me. It's a two bedroom apartment. You could move in with me to Washington..." He whispers, letting out a nervous laugh.  
I slowly sit up, him joining me.  
I think through everything.  
"Washington the state or Washington D.C.?" I ask quietly.  
"The state." He says.  
"What city?" I ask.  
"Seattle. It's the most populated city in the state and its so pretty. The lights at night are like New York City." He says. "And the apartment is a townhouse apartment so it's two stories. You see stairs right when you walk in the door. Go up the stairs and the first room is my room  
And then there's the second door you see is a bathroom and then down the hall is the other room. There's a walk in closet with a window in it, right across the street is the pool. There's a bathroom with a jacuzzi bathtub in both rooms. There's a closet in the hall and that's the washer and dryer. Then downstairs is the living room, bathroom and kitchen." He says. "You can have the guest room. It we can share." He says.  
He falls silent.  
The pros:  
I get to live with Peeta  
I could probably expand my business, maybe, I don't know about that.  
I wouldn't be so lonely at home anymore.  
Cons:  
I'd leave New York and my business.  
I'd leave Finn and Annie

That's all I can think of.  
Oh. And I can't walk around in my bra and underwear, lay on the couch and drink tea while watching Pretty Little Liars

Are Peeta and I emotionally ready to be living with someone else? To share a place. To be together and be with each other all the time?  
Yes. I think we are.  
Am I ready?  
Yes. I think I am.  
Is he ready?  
Of course he is. If he wasn't he Would have suggested long distance.  
I think I better take the chance to have my boyfriend who I've missed so much back.  
"There's one problem." I say.  
He looks at me, panicked.  
"I can't walk around in my bra and underwear and lay on the couch drinking tea while watching Pretty Little Liars." I say.  
He grins.  
"Yes you can. I'll even make the tea." He says hopefully.  
"Okay. Then there's a terrible problem." I say seriously.  
He goes panicked.  
"What? What is it?" He asks.  
"I'll burn food."  
He laughs loudly.  
"I'll reach you to cook. And if you really are as hopeless as you say, then I'll make all three meals all three days." He says. He looks hopeful. "So...is that a yes?" He asks, holding his breath.  
I grin.  
"It is indeed." I say.  
He lets out a big whoop, pumping his fist in the air and then tickling my sides.  
I laugh maniacally, falling backwards so I'm laying down.  
He hovers over me, tickling me like crazy.  
I have tears from laughter sloping down my cheeks.  
"P-P-P-Peeta!" I gasp.  
He's laughing too.  
"P-P-Peeta s-st-stop!" I gasp.  
"What's the magic word?" He asks, grinning.  
I'm gasping, my stomach hurting from laughing so hard.  
"P-Please!" I say.  
He sighs.  
"Okay. Only in exchange for a kiss." He says, stopping the tickling.  
I giggle and lean up, gently pressing my lips to his.  
Thank The Lord the basement is soundproof.  
I pull away, still gasping.  
My eyes flit to the clock. It's two.  
The front door slams and I hear screaming.  
Prim!  
Both Peeta and I race upstairs.  
"Look! Look it look it!" She screams, her hands shaking as she thrusts a piece of paper in my hands.  
I look up at her, weary.  
I drop my gaze to the paper, choking on a gasp.  
100% A in math on her test.  
89% B American government on a pop quiz.  
Oh my god. She did it!  
"You did it!" I burst, hugging her.  
"Did what?" Peeta asks, peering over my shoulder. "Oh my god Prim!" He exclaims.  
I hug her and then Peeta hugs her.  
"It's because of you guys." She says.  
"Prim you just got a hundred on a 200 point test! That could bring your grade up to a C!" I burst.  
She grins proudly.  
Mom gasps and rushes over, ripping the papers from my hands.  
She starts crying again.  
"What are you crying for?" I demand.  
"I'm j-just so happy!" She says, hugging Prim and then me and then Peeta. "I should have came to you the second she started failing!" She says.  
I shrug.  
Once everything has calmed down, Peeta touches my hand, trying to get my attention.  
We're sitting now.  
I look at him, a small smile on my face.  
"Yes?" I ask.  
"Can I talk to you?" He asks.  
I nod and stand up, him getting up behind me and leading me down to the basement. "We should tell everyone. That your moving in with me." He says.  
"Okay." I say in generally a good mood.  
"Okay?" He asks.  
"Okay," I repeat.  
He pauses.  
"You know if you don't want to move in with me, you don't have to just to be nice." He says carefully.  
My face falls.  
"Do you not want me to move in with you?" I ask.  
"No I want you to move in with me but I want you to as well. I don't want you to feel forced to move in with me just because your my girlfriend." He says.  
"I don't feel forced. I want to do this." I say.  
I pause.  
"But I don't want you to think you have to move in with me just because we live across the country from one another." I say.  
"I don't." He says. "I've wanted to ask you forever but I could never find the right time. And then we broke up and I just gave up." He explains.  
I look down.  
"I'm sorry," I whisper.  
"It's over with." He says, giving me a gentle kiss. "Ready to go get annoyed to hell?" He adds.  
I grin and kiss him gently.  
"I am if you are." I whisper, my lips a hairline from him, brushing his slightly.  
He kisses me gently and then grabs my hand and pulls me upstairs.  
I want to drive them crazy.  
I stop right before we step out into the open.  
"Lets drive them crazy." I say.  
He narrows his eyes slightly and nods.  
"Your the mastermind." He says with a grin before taking my hand and pulling me into the living room, plopping down on the couch with me next to him.  
He stifles a laugh when I prop my feet up on the coffee table and rest my hands on my stomach.  
When Peeta and I work together...everyone believes us. They always have. We can practically read each others minds.  
I sigh.  
"My back hurts." I whine.  
"Why?" He asks.  
I shoot him a look that seems like its the "you know why" but instead it says "keep it up"  
He foreins realization in his eyes.  
"Right your-" he cuts off.  
I struggle not to burst out laughing.  
Everyone's eyes are wide.  
"Your what?" Mom demands.  
"She's what?" Prim asks eagerly.  
"I'm what?" I ask like I have no clue what they're talking about.  
"Your something! You said 'my back hurts' then Peeta asked why and you have him a look and he said 'right your' and the. He stopped talking!" Mrs. Mellark says.  
I look at Peeta.  
"Your not making sense." I say.  
"Why are your hands on your stomach?" Rye asks suspiciously.  
Finn and Annie even look excited.  
I look down at my stomach.  
"No reason." I say like there's a reason.  
They all look so happy.  
"It's kind of a habit." I add. "I know it's stupid but it feels like its protective over-" I cough and then act like I said nothing.  
"Over what?" Mom presses.  
Everyone holds their breath.  
I look at Peeta, staring right at him as I say, "the baby."  
Gasps are filled around the room and I have to bury my head in Peeta's shoulder and fight hysterical laughter.  
"Your pregnant!" Mom bursts. "It's happening!" She says.  
"It was happening before but now they won't break up!" Mrs. Mellark says.  
"Wait." I say. Everyone looks at me. "I didn't say I was pregnant. I just said the baby. That will be in there someday." I say.  
Peeta is struggling no to laugh.  
"So your not pregnant?" Prim asks, her face falling.  
"Nope." I say before bursting into laughter.  
Peeta joins me.  
Everyone looks furious.  
I cough and try not to keep laughing.  
"But we do have an announcement to make." I say.  
Everyone glares.  
"What?" Jo snarls.  
I look at Peeta, asking silently if he wants me to tell him.  
He gestures between the two of us and I nod.  
"Okay um..." I say. "I think you all know its physical impossible for us to be away from each other." I say.  
They nod glumly.  
"So as a solution Katniss is moving in with me in Washington."  
We both suck in a breath and wait.  
"I don't believe them." Mom says, shaking her head and shrugging. "It's just too good to be true."  
Mrs. Mellark nods.  
"Neither do I."  
Everyone starts nodding, agreeing with them.  
"Seriously?" I ask.  
They nod.  
I look at Peeta.  
"Well it's true." He says. We both shrug and I rest my head in his shoulder, playing with his fingers that are rested up high in his thigh.  
I don't even care. I've seen it all.  
"I believe them." Finn says.  
"Yeah I kind of do too." Jo trails off.  
"Is this serious? You guys are seriously moving in together?" Mom asks.  
"Yes." I say.  
They look unconvinced.  
I roll my eyes.  
"The one time we give them the real shit they're dying to hear, they don't believe us." I say to Peeta, rolling my eyes.  
He laughs and kisses me cheek.  
"I'm telling you right now they're telling the truth." Annie says.  
I yawn and rest my head against Peeta's shoulder.  
"Ann's right." I mumble, my eyes shut.  
Nobody's next to me and we're on the three person couch.  
I sit up and turn sideways, laying down on the couch with my head in his lap.  
He starts running his fingers through my hair right away.  
"I'm so tired." I mumble.  
"Why? You just woke up like an hour ago." Mom says with a laugh  
I don't exactly want to tell them that I woke up, terrified it was just a dream.  
"Dunno." I say.  
I see Peeta's eyes narrow slightly.  
I shut my eyes again.  
He continues to play with my hair.  
"So you obviously were lying when you guys said your moving in together." Mom begins.  
Peeta snorts.  
"No. We actually weren't." Peeta says.  
"Peeta she's asleep. You don't have to keep lying to us." Mr. Mellark says.  
"Two things. First of all, I'm not lying. And second, she's not asleep." He says.  
"Oh please. Katniss, are you asleep?" Finn says. "I think I know Katniss a little bit longer than Peeta has." He adds.  
"Well you haven't seen her naked..." Peeta mutter under his breath. "Doesn't matter. She likes me more." Peeta replies.  
"No actually, she likes me more." Annie says.  
"Well I'm hotter than Peeta." Finn hisses.  
"Don't matter. Katniss wouldn't care about looks. She cares about what's on the inside." He says.  
"No she doesn't." Annie snaps.  
They start arguing.  
"I'm telling to right now, Katniss loves me much more than she loves you too. I don't see why you guys are being so stupid about this!" Finn says angrily.  
"I don't see why all three of you are being stupid." I snap, sitting up, pissed.  
"I'm not being stupid." Finn says.  
"Neither am I!" Annie says.  
"I really don't think I'm being stupid either." Peeta says.  
"No. Your all being assholes." I snap, getting up and going down to the basement, simply because I'm exhausted and they're pissing me off.  
This basement has a bathroom, a tiny kitchen, a TV in front if the couch and the bed and dresser.  
I go to the couch and flip on the TV, turning to ABC family, great foul that a rerun of Pretty Little Liars.  
I can still hear them arguing upstairs.  
"No! She was talking about you!" Annie bursts.  
I can hear the adults trying to intervene.  
"Doesn't matter. She hates you anyways! Why do you think she broke the fuck up with you!" Finn shouts.  
I tense, sitting up.  
I hear silence and then the back door slams.  
I swear under my breath.  
I sigh and flip off the TV, getting up and changing into jeans and a T-shirt, slipping on my uggs, grabbing Peeta's heavy jacket, his shoes and storming upstairs.  
"Katniss-" Finn begins.  
I don't even look at him, I just go out back, slamming the backdoor as hard as I can, the bang echoing through the cold winter air.  
Why did Finn have to go and say that? I think I'd have the exact same reaction as Peeta, but I'd be crying.  
I sigh and follow his tracks.  
I dial him.  
"He left his phone here." Mom says.  
"Shit. Okay. Thanks." I say.  
I hang up and keep trudging.  
"Peeta!" I call.  
No reply.  
He doesn't know his way around the forest and the snow is gonna start covering up his tracks.  
I start to jog and then break into a full run.  
I start to panic when his tracks are almost not visible.  
I run faster, frantic.  
"Peeta!" I scream.  
His tracks are gone.  
He's gonna get frostbite!  
I run harder, slamming right into someone and crashing back onto my butt.  
It's Peeta, of course.  
I have frantic tears running down my cheeks.  
His eyes are red.  
I silently hold out his jacket.  
"Your soaked now. You need it more than I do." He says.  
"Well doesn't that fucking suck." I say. I hold his jacket out to him, staring him dead in the eyes.  
He sighs and takes it, pulling it on.  
I didn't even realize we were at the meadow lake thing.  
"I love you." I say. "You know I love you, right?"  
He nods.  
"Yes. But I have my doubts." He whispers.  
Another tear slips down his cheek and I swear to god my heart just shattered.  
"Is what he said true?" He asks.  
"No. No it's not. I love you, I love you, I love you. I left you because I lost my head for five minutes." I say.  
I step closer and kiss away the tear.  
He sighs.  
"Your right. It was stupid if me to leave without a jacket and shoes in a forest." He says.  
I hand him his shoes and he slides them on.  
"Wanna do something I did when I was in high school and was bored?" I ask hopefully.  
"Can it get you or I hurt in any way?" He asks.  
I snigger.  
"I'm not gonna answer that."  
I start to look around through the snow for rocks.  
He laughs and begins to help me.  
We both gets handfuls.  
"What are we doing, exactly?" He asks.  
I grin.  
"Well the ice is really thin..." I trail off, smiling excitedly.  
"Wait..." He says.  
I grin and walk onto the edge of the lake, right before the water starts.  
It's coated in snow.  
"One at a time." I say.  
He looks nervous.  
"You first." He says.  
I grab a rock and throw it with all my might onto the ice.  
Nothing.  
He sucks in a breath and throws a rock.  
The ice makes a loud cracking noise and the ground shutters.  
The ground didn't used to shudder.  
I frown.  
"Same time?" I ask.  
"Do you have your phone on you?" He asks.  
"Yeah, why?" I ask.  
"Because...never mind."  
I frown and don't press. If he says never mind it means its not important.  
I get a rock and at the same time, we throw it.  
The ground shudders violently.  
I then realize what's happening.  
The ice is breaking with us on top of it.  
"Peeta." I calmly, grabbing his arm and steady myself.  
"Does the ground always shudder like this?" He asks.  
The shudders get more violent and I can see the ice breaking on the other side of the lake.  
"Peeta." I say again.  
"What?" He asks.  
"We're not on the ground."  
His eyes widen.  
I stumble and fall onto my knees, the ice underneath me shattering.  
If you go down in the winter in a lake, not all the ice will break. The chances of getting trapped underneath the ice is very, very high.  
You will drown.  
I start to panic when suddenly, I'm ripped off the ice and thrown over Peeta's shoulder, running at full speed.  
The ice is shattering so quickly.  
Peeta trips.  
The next thing I know, I'm engulfed in ice cold water.  
I feel frozen.  
I thrash around, panicking.  
Everything goes black.

...

I hear hushed whispers, all frantic.  
I'm dry, my clothes are warm and fuzzy.  
"I think she's waking up." That sounded like Mom.  
I'm freezing cold.  
The entire body is cold.  
I move my head a lot, slowly opening my eyes and then sitting up.  
I'm on the couch in the living room.  
I look down.  
My lips are icy. I'm in a robe. Mom's fuzzy robe.  
A violent shiver passed through my body and two seconds later, someone holds out a cup to me.  
My hair is clean and smells like shampoo. It's wet.  
I'm so cold. So, so cold.  
Everyone, well, the adults, are crowded around, the little kids watching a TV show.  
I clutch the cup of what I think is hot chocolate.  
"How the hell am I alive?" I ask, my teeth chattering.  
"I pulled you out and ran home." Peeta says.  
I shudder again, taking a sip of the boiling hot chocolate, that actually feels good going down, burning my insides.  
Got a secret  
Can ya keep it?  
I look around. That's the start pretty little liars song.  
Another shudder runs through my body.  
I frown and look down again.  
"Do I have clothes on?" I ask.  
"Uh...yes." Peeta says.  
"Underneath this?" I ask.  
He shrugs.  
I pull out the edge of the robe and look down.  
Bra and underwear. That's it.  
I look out the window.  
"What time is it?" I ask when I see its dark out.  
"Eight." Mom whispers.  
Eight.  
Oh my god.  
Pretty little liars, the season finale came on last night.  
I missed it because Prim.  
And it's on right now.  
I slowly sit up, setting my gaze on the TV.  
Annie is shoving her mouth with popcorn, sitting on the floor, watching.  
"You okay?" She asks.  
"Yes. What'd I miss?" I ask.  
It's already on commercial.  
"A sent a package that were magic ape balls that said "if she gets free you pay the price."  
By she it means Hanna's mom.  
I sigh and sip more of the tea.  
"Can I put actual clothes on? I feel like the bitch from 101 Dalmatians." I say.  
Peeta laughs softly.  
"Yeah. Come here." He says, taking my drink from me and setting it on the coffee table.  
I get up, my joints all cracking at once.  
He takes my hand and picks my cup up again.  
His eyes widen and he sighs and pulls me downstairs.  
"Your hands feel like ice." He whispers.  
"My entire body feels like ice." I mumble. "Can you put the TV on?" I ask as he locks the door.  
He nods.  
He walks over to the TV, which is in front of the bed with the couch at the edge.  
I pull off my robe, suddering violently.  
I look around for clothes and then frown.  
"I d-don't have clothes." I say, shivering.  
He tosses a long sleeve shirt at me that's his.  
I pull it on.  
It goes to my thighs.  
I don't put pants on.  
I slide under the covers, sitting against the headboard.  
He hands me my hot chocolate and slides in next to me.  
I slide closer to him. He's so warm.  
A low hiss escapes his lips.  
"Your freezing." He whispers.  
My attention is solely on the TV.  
Of course Hanna's mom gets free.  
They get another package.  
It's big.  
It's a coffin.  
"What is it?" Aria asks.  
"It looks like a child's coffin." Emily replies.  
"Malcolm!" I burst as Sepncer opens the coffin.  
It's a fucking doll.  
"Mona."  
All their phones beep at the same time.  
They have to find Mona before they kill her.  
It goes to commercial.  
"Damn." I say.  
I take another sip.  
We keep watching till the big finale.  
It shows the girls chasing Red Coat, which turns out to be two of them.  
"Ally and CeCe." I say.  
Sure enough, it shows Aria chasing one of the red coats.  
The red coat starts to fall and Aria grabs them.  
The sleeve on the red coat rips and then girl falls.  
"CeCe! I told you!"  
Peeta laughs.  
I drink more hot chocolate, finishing it.  
I set it in the bedside table.  
Peeta warms my hands with his and then moves to my arms.  
He just gets to my legs as it goes back on.  
It shows Emily hugging Aria.  
"Your tried to save her." She whispers.  
Shit starts to heat up, and then before we know it, they're in A's lair.  
I get up and blot upstairs, entering the living room, where Annie is watching intently.  
Peeta follows me.  
The girls run into the creep later she she reveals Allison is alive.  
"What!" Annie bursts.  
"I told you!" I say.  
It then switches to them starting to walk away and it shows a guy coming out from a corner, listening to the girls.  
It switches it the guy in the lair.  
I stare at him in shock, my mouth half opened.  
He lashes out and kicks a chair over.  
Then the show ends.  
Tears fill my eyes.  
Without a word, Annie drops her bowl on the floor and storms upstairs, sobbing. Finn chases after her.  
Peeta's watching me closely.  
Tears start to pour.  
"Ezra!" I shout.  
I then start to sob, joining Annie, but running downstairs and collapsing on the bed.  
I hear the door shut and then footsteps and then the bed sinks down and I'm pulled under the covers by Peeta, who is laying down.  
I rest my head on his chest.  
He rubs my back.  
"H-he betrayed t-them!" I sob.  
He keeps rubbing my back, his hand sliding lower and lower.  
Soon enough, his hand is right at the start of my ass.  
I slowly sit up.  
His eyes are so dark they're almost black.  
"Did you lock the door?" I ask, wiping my tears.  
He nods.  
"Do they have a key?" He asks.  
"No." I whisper.  
We stare at each other.  
We both attack one another's lips, him on all fours above me.  
We don't stop.  
Why should we, anyways?

Disclaimer: don't go calling Katniss a baby because she cried over pretty little liars. When my sister found out Toby was one of the A's, she cried for an hour straight.  
Review and PM  
Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games or anything else  
-KatPeeta22 


	12. Chapter 12

I wake up to someone shaking my shoulder.  
"Baby you have to get up." Peeta whispers.  
I grown and open my eyes.  
Oh right, it's Thanksgiving.  
He has on a blue button down shirt and black dress pants.  
We both look completely like ourselves.  
His hair is the same as it always is, curly.  
I rub my eyes.  
"I'm going into the bathroom to brush my teeth." He says.  
He kisses my forehead and disappears.  
I sigh and get up, pulling on a bra and underwear.  
I then dig through my suitcase, finding my dress I packed.  
It's light blue with diamonds down to the beginning of my hip bone.  
It goes to my ankles.  
I grab my brush from the bedside table and brush my hair, plugging my curling iron in and quickly curling my hair.  
Peeta walks out of the bathroom and his jaw goes slack.  
I don't have it zipped.  
"Can you zip me?" I ask, unplugging the curling iron.  
He stares at me.  
"Peeta!" I say.  
He blinks and then closes his mouth and walks over to me, zipping me up.  
"Your beautiful." He says.  
There's a banging on the basement door.  
"We're waiting on you two!" Jo shouts.  
I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.  
I get out my all diamon heels and put them on, raising to Peeta's height.  
"Well this works out, doesn't it."  
I grin and walk off to the bathroom, brushing my teeth.  
I walk back out.  
"How come my hair smells like soap?" I ask.  
"Because your mom and Prim face you a bath when you were out." He says.  
I nod and get my necklace at is a sparky heart and hand it to him.  
He puts it on.  
I run my fingers through my hair a few times and then put on deodorant and spray my perfume on, which is sweet pea.  
It's all I use. Ever.  
And I put it on every day.  
Peeta inhales.  
"It smells like you." He says.  
I shrug and take his hand.  
"Lets go before they kill us." I say.  
He grins and gives me a gentle kiss.  
"I love you." He whispers.  
"I love you too. Have I told you how sexy you look?" I ask.  
"No." He says.  
"Well I just did." I say. He laughs.  
"You look beautiful." He grins  
I blush.  
"Thanks..."  
He opens the door for me and we step into the living room.  
"Hot damn your sexy!" Rye says.  
"Damn." Graham adds.  
"If you need tapped, I'm all free." Justice says.  
"Same here." Kegan adds.  
I roll my eyes.  
Everyone's all dressed up.  
"No thanks." I say.  
"So what'd you guys do last night?" Mom asks suspiciously.  
"Slept." I lie. Ha. Had sex, what the fuck do you think we did?  
Finn snickers, as does Jo and Annie.  
"So where are we going?" I ask.  
"Out to breakfast and then spending the day at the bakery." Mom says.  
She pauses.  
"You do know your phone isn't broken, right?" Mom asks, grabbing it off the coffee table and tossing it to me.  
I catch it easily.  
Oh yeah. I have a life proof case.  
I have three missed calls, one from Clove, Linda and Cato.  
I don't have any texts.  
"I have to make a call." I say.  
"Can't it wait?" Mom asks.  
"Not really." I reply. "Now everyone stay quiet." I add, dialing Linda.  
"Hello?" She asks.  
"Linda?" I ask.  
She sighs.  
"Thank god. We're short one person today." She says. "Thresh didn't show up. He called and said his wife went into labour."  
I sigh.  
"What are you guys working on a holiday for?" I ask.  
"Because we work today." She says.  
"Linda, it's a holiday. It's just like the day after the hurricane. Go home. Tell Clove and Cato the same." I say.  
"Okay. Thank you." she says.  
"No problem."  
I hang up.  
"Okay. Lets go." I say.  
"Who's Linda?" Peeta asks as we head outside and into the snow.  
I lift my dress to my thighs.  
"One of my employees." I reply, tripping in the snow.  
He wraps his arms around my waist to steady me.  
The only car left is mine, all the other ones are full.  
It's Jessica, Audrey and Caleb.  
I sigh.  
"I'll go get my keys." I grumble.  
Peeta doesn't say anything, he just turns around and walks into the house.  
Audrey looks angry.  
I look down at her.  
"What's wrong?" I ask sweetly.  
She crossed her pudgy arms and stops her foot.  
"Your so pretty! I wanna be as pretty as you one day!" She whines.  
I bend down, lowering my dress a bit.  
"You are beautiful." I say, crouching down, not allowing my dress to touch the ground. "I would love to look like you." I say.  
Caleb just messes around on his phone.  
"No! Your hair is perfect! Your face! Even your boobies!" She whines.  
I laugh softly.  
"You don't want boobies yet." I say.  
I hear the front door shut and Peeta comes out.  
He tosses me my keys and I catch them effortlessly.  
We head for the car.  
Jessica gets in the front, Caleb in the middle, Audrey behind me and Peeta behind Jessica.  
I start the car and blast the heat.  
I wrinkle my nose.  
"It smells terrible in here." I say, opening the middle console and getting out my sweet pea, spraying it.  
I then start to drive.  
I pause.  
"I have no clue where we're going." I say, sighing.  
"Neither do I." Jessica says.  
I look at Peeta in the rear view mirror.  
"I don't either." He says.  
I pull over.  
Then Mom zooms past.  
I start to drive again, checking my gas.  
I move the lever up to turn right and wait.  
I turn and flip the signal off.  
I then remember I don't have my wallet.  
"Lets hope we don't get pulled over." I say.  
"Why?" Jessica asks.  
"I don't have my wallet." I say.  
"I grabbed it when I was getting your purse." Peeta says.  
When we stop at a light, I turn to him and he hands it to me.  
"Thanks." I say.  
My phone starts blaring.  
I look down at it.  
Clove.  
I sigh and press answer, switching off the Bluetooth.  
"Hello?" I ask.  
"Hey boss. Linda says you gave us the day off, is that true?" She asks.  
"Yeah. Go home and be with you baby." I say.  
"Okay. Thank you so much." She says.  
"No problem."  
I hang up.  
I'm getting low on gas.  
"Can one of you get the address of where we're going?" I ask.  
Two minutes later, Peeta's phone beeps.  
The gas light is beeping.  
"We're going to Ihop. The one by the huge mall." He says. "The one you had your sixth birthday at." He says.  
"Oh. Okay then." I say, pulling into the nearest gas station.  
I grab my card and get out, filling up.  
The man filling up in the pump across from my whistles.  
"You are one hot motherfucker." He says. "Wanna have sex?" He asks.  
"My boyfriend is in the car and he won't hesitate to beat your ass." I reply.  
The man puts his hands up.  
"Alright. I get you. Respect!" He says.  
"Damn right." I reply, getting back in the car and slamming the door.  
I put my card back.  
"I can't stand that." I say. "When creeps talk like that. It's really annoying and disgusting. Why me. Honestly?" I complain, slowing down when I realize I'm speeding.  
"What did he ask.  
"He said you are on hot motherfer and the. Asked if I wanted to have the S word." I say, glancing at Audrey, who is dead asleep.  
"And what did you say?" He asks, trying to keep his voice level.  
I let out a quiet laugh.  
"I said 'my boyfriends in the car and he won't hesitate to beat your ass'." Jessica, Peeta and Caleb all laugh.  
"And then he said 'Alright. I get you. Respect!'." I say. "And then I said 'damn right'."  
The car falls into silence.  
It gets quite awkward. It's like an hour drive and we're only about a half hour in.  
I sigh and start fiddling with the radio.  
Nothing good is on. All shit.  
I groan, glad when I stop at the light.  
I start to dig through the middle consul.  
"Let me know when the light changes." I say.  
I start to look through my CD's.  
"Green!" Caleb says.  
Both Peeta and Jessica cry out the word "no!" But it's too late, I slam down onto the gas, shooing right into the busiest intersection in the entire state of Kentucky.  
I almost slam right into a ton of cars, missing one by a millimeter.  
I swerve around twenty speeding cars the car going 75 miles a hour. If our cars connected, mine would flip. That's a guarantee.  
Audrey is awake and screaming, while everyone else is frozen in terror as a semi comes barreling towards us.  
I press my foot harder on the gas and pull out of the intersection, pulling over.  
Oh. My. God.  
"Caleb have you list your mind!" Jessica shouts at her son.  
Audrey continues to scream, terrified.  
I drop my head onto the steering wheel, my chest heaving.  
Oh my god.  
It's nearly ten minutes before everyone calms down.  
I'm very shaky.  
I can't fucking believe that.  
"Who taught you to drive?" Jessica asks.  
"My Dad and Haymitch." I say. "Why?" I add.  
"Because that is the most badass driving I think I've ever seen." Peeta exclaims.  
(My best friend did that to her mom. And by my best friend I mean KatPeeta20)  
I sigh and shakily start to drive again.  
"And you didn't even cause any accidents!" He adds.  
I bite my lip and drive the rest of the twenty minutes.  
I'm so pissed at Caleb for pulling that shit. I'm not gonna say anything though.  
I pull into a parking spot in iHop and slam the door after grabbing my wallet, phone and keys.  
Everyone else follows calmly behind me.  
Jessica walks right up to Uncle Jordan, her husband, Caleb's dad.  
The entire family looks extremely irritated.  
I clutch Peeta's hand with a death grip, trying to keep my mouth shut.  
I don't bother trying to his how pissed I am.  
"What the fuck took you guys so long. We have been waiting here for about an hour!" Jo bursts.  
"Lets see." Jessica begins, answering. "We stopped for gas." She says  
Everyone has their attention set on her.  
"A penny!" Audrey squeals, running for the busy road.  
I drop Peeta's hands and run for her, picking her up seconds before she gets into the road.  
Another near death experience.  
She starts to cry.  
"But the penny!" She sobs.  
I dig through my wallet and hand her a quarter.  
She stops crying.  
I go back to where everyone is.  
"Thank you." Jessica says, taking Audrey. "No. Lets see. We stopped at a light and then Katniss said 'tell me when the lights green' at the intersection of the busiest road in Kentucky."  
Everyone listens.  
"And then your son," she shoots Uncle Jordan a look. "Decides it would be haliroud to say the light was green when it wasn't."  
Everyones face falls, knowing where this is going.  
"So Katniss slammed down on the gas and she swerved around twenty cars, a semi nearly connecting with the car that was going about a hundred." She says.  
She crosses her arms and stops talking.  
Jordan rounds on Caleb.  
But my parents and Haymitch round on me.  
"Are you out of your damn mind!" Dad bursts.  
I sigh and cross my arms.  
"Why in gods name would you tell them to look at the light for you! That's your job! Not theirs!" Haymitch says.  
"You could have killed all of you!" Mom bursts.  
"I know." I say, irritation evident.  
"I can't believe you did that! Are you insane!" Dad says.  
I clench my jaw.  
Don't say anything.  
"Yours insane! Your so fucking stupid!" Haymitch says.  
I start to grind my teeth.  
Everyone has fallen silent, listening.  
"I'm so ashamed of you." Mom says.  
They stare at me, waiting for me to say something.  
"Well! At least defend yourself!" Haymitch growls.  
Peeta sighs loudly, not bothering to hide his irritation.  
"She can't speak. If she does, she going to end up punching one I you in the face." He says obviously.  
"No she won't. I know my daughter." Dad says, shooting Peeta a glare.  
"And I know my girlfriend. And her eyes are pitch black, which means she's either extremely pissed off or she wants sex."  
A few people snicker.  
"No. That's not how they work." Dad retorts, his voice rising slightly.  
Peeta doesn't even look like he cares.  
"And she's not stupid." He adds. "Or insane."  
He's pissed.  
"I disagree." Haymitch says.  
I clench my fists, digging my nails into my palm.  
Don't you dare.  
"I'm telling you right now. Light grey means she's wanting sex or she's angry, normal is happy, and then dark is extremely sad."  
"Actually. Last time I checked, you haven't had sex with her."  
My fucking family is driving me crazy.  
"Oh so what. She's just with you to be nice." Dad snarls. My anger flies through the roof and I fight strangling him.  
"Well I don't care if she's wanting to punch me." Haymitch says. "Speak." He orders. "Your not incapable."  
"No, but you may be of you don't shut your mouth." I hiss.  
Shit. I've broken.  
"And don't you ever say I'm with Peeta to be nice. I love him and you damn well know it."  
"Guys come on its a holiday." Aunt Kate speaks up.  
My dad puts up a hand.  
"It doesn't matter. It was wrong of you to be recklessly driving like that." He growls.  
"You better watch it." I snarl.  
Peeta doesn't say anything as he grabs my hand and pulls me all the way around the back of the building.  
"I want to go home." I say. "This entire family is driving me bonkers and I want to fucking kill every one of them." I hiss. "I want to go home, pack up all my shit and get to our place." I hiss.  
He starts gently rubbing my arms up and down.  
"Just try to get through today. We can leave so early tomorrow that nobody will be awake." He says. "We don't even have to tell them." He adds softly.  
"Fine. But don't expect me to be nice to my dad." I growl.  
"I don't." He says.  
I turn around and stalk back to the front.  
He follows.  
"Are you ready to stop being such a terrible daughter?" Dad asks.  
Peeta places his hand on the small of my back.  
My eyes flit to my car and down to the keys in my hand.  
"Dad stop being such a dick." I hiss.  
He looks outraged.  
"Give me the car keys." He says.  
He wants my car keys?  
"No." I say.  
"Yes." He growls, reaching for them.  
I step back.  
"No." I repeat.  
He can't take my car keys. It's my car, I'm twenty years old. He can take away my stuff anymore like a little three year old.  
He gets a grasp on them and I rip them from his grip.  
"No. Your not in charge of me anymore." I hiss.  
He reaches for the keys again, furious.  
I look at Peeta.  
"I'm not gonna be able to do it." I say.  
He knows I want to leave and I want to leave now.  
My entire family is pissing me off. Their attitudes, my dad thinking he can still tell me what to do.  
My anger is boiling to the edge.  
"Give me the keys." Dad repeats. "You have exactly thirty seconds to give me the keys."  
I quickly contemplate.  
Yes. If I try hard enough, I can be backing out of the parking space in thirty seconds.  
My eyes flit to Peeta.  
"Starting now."  
I turn around and bolt for the car, Peeta right behind me.  
I hop into the front seat and Leeta in the passenger, starting the car and locking the doors.  
"I can't stay here Peeta. I'm going to end up hurting one of them. I have to go home right now."  
"Lets go." He says, pulling out his phone.  
I check my surroundings and then back out of the parking spot and speeding out of the lot and speeding home.  
"God one more thing I fucked up." I say.  
"You didn't fuck it up." He says.  
"Yeah I did." I say.  
I look in my rearview mirror and curse.  
My Dad is following me.  
"My dad is following." I say.  
The light wills turn red in exactly three seconds.  
I slam down on the gas, sending Peeta back in his seat.  
My dad gets stuck.  
"We have to take a faster way."  
I say.  
"Remember there's a road through the forest we walk through. We can get into the basement from the window, get our shit and we're gone!" He says.  
"Yes!" I exclaim.  
I speed down the road and turn into the country.  
It's a dirt road and its never used. It goes right through the forest that's behind my house.  
I keep looking in the rearview mirror.  
"How about, when we get to New York, we can go get our own food and have our own thanksgiving?" He suggests.  
I shrug.  
"Okay."  
I'm at my house in five minutes.  
"We're gonna have to use the basement window." I say.  
"I won't fit though that." He says.  
"I will." I say. "Will our bags?"  
"We both have duffle bags. I think they will." He says.  
"Lets hope so." I say, getting out and taking off my heels.  
He stays by the window, helping me in.  
I quickly run up and lock the basement and then start to gather our stuff, shoving it through the window to Peeta.  
I double and triple check.  
The front door slams and I hear the basement door raddling.  
Maybe he does have a key.  
I give Peeta a panicked expression.  
He sticks his hand in the window to me, desperate.  
I take it and he pulls me up.  
I'm halfway through when the basement door opens.  
Peeta pulls me roughly up the rest of the way.  
My dad shouts a curse word and we take off for my car, throwing shit in the back and speeding back down the forest road.  
My dad is behind us.  
"He's behind us." I whisper.  
Peeta looks behind us and sighs.  
Dad's on the phone.  
"I'll bet he's telling Haymitch to block the exit." I grumble.  
"I bet your right."  
Sure enough, when we get to the exit, Haymitch has it blocked.  
I stop the car, turn it off, lock the door and sit.  
"We're gonna be here a while." I grumble.  
He mutters a response, searching something on his phone.  
"It looks like the only flight left that will take cars is two days away." He says.  
I sigh.  
"Hotel?" I ask.  
He shrugs and nods.  
He taps the screen a few times.  
"Lets start making a plan to get out of here." I say. "What airport?" I ask.  
"International." He grumbles.  
Thats five hours from here.  
I sigh.  
An hour passes.  
Eleven.  
Dad's on the phone.  
Twelve.  
Haymitch, now.  
One.  
My phone blares.  
It's Mom.  
"Hey mom." I say.  
"Would you cut the shit." She says.  
I hang up.  
Peeta sighs.  
I can't believe I didn't notice it before. There's a space I can just fit the car through that Haymitch has blocked.  
Both of them know it and they're in the way.  
Two.  
I sigh loudly.  
"This is fucking ridiculous." I hiss, starting the car. I drive right into the forest, carefully swerving around trees till I get to another exit and I exit, honking as we pass the baffled parents.  
"Baby I have to eat something." Peeta says after a little while.  
"Tell me where to stop and we'll stop." I say.  
He starts to fiddle with the radio.  
He sighs and turns it off.  
I stop at a gas station to refill.  
"I'm gonna get food, do you want anything?" He asks.  
"A cherry coke and pepperoni combos please." I say, accepting his kiss as I pay for the gas.  
"Mmm kay." He mumbles, kissing me again.  
I smile against his lips.  
He walks off.  
I get back in the car and pull into the parking spot right outside the door, shutting the car off, grabbing my phone, keys and wallet and heading inside.  
I grab a pack of gum and then walk over to Peeta who's paying and kiss his cheek.  
He looks at me and then his eyes flit to the gum.  
"Let me." He says.  
"Nope." I say.  
He doesn't bother arguing.  
We both pay and then go back to driving.  
The feeling of being followed starts to creep up on me and my eyes flit to the rearview mirror.  
"Peeta." I whisper.  
"Hmm baby?" He asks, taking my right hand in his left and drawing small circles.  
"My Dad's behind us." I whisper.  
His gaze shifts to the mirror.  
I'm so frustrated I'm trying not to cry. Tears are slipping down my cheeks.  
"Oh baby." He whispers, wiping them.  
We're only about an hour and a half into the drive.  
I dial my mom.  
"Hey sweetie." She says. She doesn't sound shocked we left.  
"Why the hell is dad behind me and Peeta?" I burst. "Mom he's gotta learn to let go. I'm twenty. I have my own house and car. Nothing I have is owned by him. He can't take it." I say.  
"I know boo, but he loves you and he doesn't really trust Peeta that much anymore." She explains.  
"Why?"  
"Because. I don't know. He doesn't really have a reason." She says.  
"Whatever. Bye." I hang up.  
I sit back at the light.  
I lose it and dial my dad.  
"Nice of you to call me." He says.  
"Why the fun are you following us? I'm your daughter, not your bitch."  
"Because I have reason to believe that Peeta has a gun."  
I roll my eyes.  
"Bullshit." I snarl.  
"I'm serious. Tell him to empty his pockets. I saw him put it in there. If he doesn't do it, get out if the car." He says.  
"This is ridiculous." I growl. "Baby empty your pockets." I say.  
Peeta gives me a confused look and empties both his pockets.  
"Your an idiot!" I burst at my dad.  
I roll my eyes.  
"Please just stop at this gas station." He says.  
I sigh and get over.  
"If I get mad I'm gonna punch you in the face, just saying."  
"I know."  
I hang up.  
Peeta looks confused.  
"We just got gas." He says.  
"Yeah but my dad wants to talk to me." I say. "I figure we may as well get it over with."  
My dad pulls in next to me.  
"I'll be back." I groan, giving him a kiss and then getting out.  
"Over here." He says, walking all the way across the parking lot.  
I follow him, standing in front of him with my arms crossed.  
"I think you need a break up with Peeta." He says.  
"What!" I burst.  
Of course I won't do it.  
"Oh why because he stuck up for me over something that wasn't even my damn fault to begin with?" I snarl.  
"He's disrespectful." He says.  
"He was sticking up for me!" I burst.  
"Over your own father!" He says.  
"Yeah because you were being an asshole! You guys called me stupid and insane!" I say.  
"Well you were acting like it." He replies. "I want you to break up with Peeta right now or I'll go do it myself." He says.  
I slap him.  
"I'll never break up with Peeta. Don't expect to see me again." I snarl.  
"Katniss-" he begins.  
I turn around and storm back to the car.  
It's not good to let me drive when I'm pissed. I'm very reckless.  
I back out of the parking spot and fly out of the parking lot, going 100mph in a 75mph zone.  
I swerve around cars, blow lights and everything.  
"Katniss, I think you should let me drive." Peeta says when we stop at a light.  
I'm about to say no when I realize it is a really good idea. I can end up killing both of us with the way I'm driving.  
I sigh and unbuckle.  
We climb over the middle console so I'm in the passenger and he's in the driver.  
We still have about three hours and a half. I was calculating three before but I remember we're going to the one five hours away.  
Who is he to tell me to break up with my boyfriend, just because he was pissed off that Peeta stuck up for me over something that wasn't my fault to begin with.  
Sure, I should have been looking myself, but that doesn't make what Lucas did okay.  
Oh course I'm gonna slam down on the gas when someone says the lights green and I'm the first car.  
So now my own father doesn't like Peeta.  
Angry, hurt tears well in my eyes but I don't let them spill.  
"Katniss what happened?" Peeta finally asks when it's well after dark. Still like two more hours.  
I sigh.  
I don't really think I can tell him.  
My phone starts ringing. It's Finn.  
I stare at it and then decide I don't really feel like talking.  
"I don't want talk about it." I mumble, linking our fingers.  
"Alright then."  
I can tell I'm probably driving him crazy, but he doesn't comment.  
My phone beeps and both mine and Peeta's eyes flit down at it.  
It says  
Finn: Katniss why in gods name did your dad lock himself in the bathroom and won't come out?  
I sigh.  
"Fine I'll tell you." I say.  
"You don't have to." He says.  
"Well I'm going to. Your gonna be upset."  
He sighs but remains silent.  
When I takes to him on the phone he made me tell you to empty your pockets because he thought you had a gun."  
"What!" Peeta bursts.  
"And then when we talked, he told me to break up with you because your disrespectful. And my Mom says he doesn't trust you anymore."  
His face goes emotionless.  
"But I'm not gonna do it. My dad locked himself in the bathroom because I told him he's never gonna see me again." I whisper.  
He sighs.  
"I don't want you to push your family away because of me." He says.  
"I'm not. Just my dad. And it's his fault anyways." I say.  
My phone starts blaring again.  
Mom.  
I sigh loudly and press answer.  
"What!" I burst. "Actually I know what you want. Give Finn or Annie the phone." I say.  
"No." She says.  
"Oh well then I just won't tell you."  
"Dammit Katniss, fine!"  
"Hey kitty. You wanna tell me why your dads locked in the bathroom?"  
"He doesn't trust Peeta and he thought he has a gun so I met up with him at the gas station and he told me to break up with Peeta or he would do it himself and then I told him he'll never see me again and I left."  
"What!" He says.  
Of course I'm on speaker.  
"That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard!" Rye shouts.  
Everyone suddenly falls silent and I put the phone on speaker.  
I put a finger to my lips and Peeta nods.  
"John! Have you officially lost your mind!" Mom shouts.  
"Don't start Lilly." Dad growls.  
"Don't start? Are you kidding me? You told Katniss to break up with Peeta because you dont like him. You think he's disrespectful for sticking up for her! This is Peeta Mellark we're talking about! He's got more respect than your pinkie!"  
I can't believe mom is saying this to him.  
"I can't believe you! Your so disrespectful! I don't blame Katniss for never wanting to see you again!"  
"Look. I know it was a stupid thing of me to say and I'm sorry. Now my oldest hates me and I'll never see her again."  
I clutch Peeta's hand tighter, holding my breath.  
"And I'm sorry for what I said about Peeta." He adds.  
I sneeze on accident and then panic.  
I look at Peeta and then realize we're in the hotel parking lot.  
I hear a sniff on the other line.  
"Bless you Annie!" Finn says. Oh thank god.  
"Thank you." Annie says.  
Peeta's phone starts ringing just then, blaring actually.  
It's Rye.  
Panic fills my veins.  
Peeta presses ignore but it's way too late.  
"That was...they're on the phone!" Dad bursts.  
"Not anymore!" I say before quickly hanging up. I drop my head into my hands. Peeta gets out of the car after a minute.  
He opens the back door and does something and then shuts the door and opens my door.  
"Hey." He whispers, tilting my head to look at him. "Lets go get a room, okay?" He asks gently.  
I sigh and unbuckle, grabbing my phone and wallet and slamming the door.  
I reach for my bag.  
He runs his free hand through my hair, kisses my forehead and then takes my hand.  
I sigh follow him into the hotel.  
"I'm paying, by the way." He says.  
"No your not. You bought me food and the plane ticket." I argue.  
He kisses me gently.  
"It's because I love you." He says. "Would it make you feel better if we split it?" He asks.  
"Since I know your not going to let me pay, then yes." I say, annoyed slightly. I pause. "And I love you too."  
The women behind the counter is staring at me, eying my closely.  
She has bouncy blond curls.  
She's extremely familiar.  
Peeta pulls me to the counter.  
"I know you." She says.  
I look at her name tag.  
"Oh my god! Madge! It's me, Katniss!" She snaps her fingers.  
"Yes! I knew it!" She says. "You look so pretty."  
"Thank you. How are you I haven't seen you in a while?"  
"I'm good." She grins.  
Peeta looks confused.  
"Peeta this is Madge. She's my friend from middle school. Madge, this is my boyfriend, Peeta." I say.  
They shake hands.  
I don't really know how to book a hotel room, so Peeta does it for us.  
We split the pay and just before heading upstairs, Madge's grabs my arm.  
"There's condoms in the nightstand." She mutters under her breath.  
I laugh loudly.  
"Thanks. I think we're good, but still, thanks."  
She laughs and nods.  
Peeta looks confused as he pulls me onto the elevator.  
"What'd she say?" He asks curiously.  
I laugh.  
"There's condoms in the nightstand." I say. I walk off the elevator, making sure to sway my hips.  
He laughs softly and follows me.  
But I need to talk to him.  
And I'm not really in the mood for sex.  
He unlocks the door and we walk in.  
He dumps our stuff on the second bed.  
I shut the door behind me and then unzip my dress and shimmy out of it.  
He stares at me.  
I pick it up and walk over to my bag, unzipping it and dropping it in.  
I take off the heels and then plop down in our bed.  
He strips down to his boxers and sits down across from me.  
I sigh.  
"Am I a terrible daughter?" I ask.  
"No." He says. "You really didn't do anything wrong." He says. "Your a perfect daughter. A perfect friend. A perfect girlfriend. And one day..." He pauses. "Your gonna be a perfect wife." He drops his gaze to my hand, fiddling with it. "And a perfect mother."  
I stare at him.  
"What are you saying?" I whisper.  
He looks up at me.  
"I'm saying that one day, you will get married and have children." He says. "And I'm hoping, you want me to be your husband. And the children to be ours." He says. "Because I can't see myself with anyone but you."  
I stare at him, picturing a ring on my finger and one on his own. I picture children running around in the meadow. Our children.  
One, the oldest, a girl. Long dark hair like mine and the bluest eyes like Peeta's but her own color. And then a little boy, with Peeta's curls and my eyes. And then, Peeta and I sitting there, me cradling a baby.  
It looks like a little boy.  
Another one.  
Three kids. One girl and two boys.  
"Listen, I didn't mean to make you nervous-"  
"Three. One girl, who'd the oldest." I say, resting my hands on his chest and pushing, laying him down and getting on all fours above him. "With my hair and your eyes. And then the middle, a boy. Your hair and my eyes. And then the baby. I didn't get to see what he looked like." I whisper.  
He stares at me.  
"It was in the meadow, but I don't want to live in Kentucky." I whisper.  
"Me either." He murmurs. "But I don't want to raise kids in the city." He says. "Somewhere they can run in fields and play. On...a ranch or something. With tons of property." He mumbles, our eyes locked.  
I run my fingertips down his chest, moving my hand back up when I get to the start of his boxers.  
"Somewhere country. Still in the United States." I whisper.  
"Ocean?" He asks.  
I think.  
"Eh. No. No ocean. We can take them there on vacation with tons of sunscreen." I say. "To Florida we can...we can go to Disney!"  
"Oh god. They would love that!"  
"Indiana." I say.  
"Indiana would be perfect." He says.  
I grin.  
"So Indiana?"  
"Indiana." He confirms. "I want three too." He says.  
I smile and kiss him gently and then flipping down next to him.  
"I still feel bad for saying that to my dad." I mumble.  
He sighs.  
"Well don't." He says.  
I know he's right but still.  
"You know everyone still doesn't believe we're moving in together." He says.  
I yawn.  
"Idiots." I through my yawn.  
He laughs. "What?"  
"I said idiots." I say, resting my head on his chest.  
He laughs softly.  
His phone starts to blare after a few minutes if silence.  
I'm half asleep and a soft groan omits from my lips when my pillow; Peeta's chest, disappears.  
"Hello?" He whispers.  
I can hear someone on the other end; a girl.  
"No Mom." He says. "No. We're not coming back."  
He sighs.  
"She's fine." He says. I hear a ton if angry voices on the other end. "No you can't talk to her." He says.  
A males voice now.  
"No Mr. Everdeen." Peeta says. I sigh, half awake. "Well she's waking up now." He says. "I don't know, she's really tired-"  
He cuts off.  
I flip onto my stomach, my eyes watering from the bright light.  
I hear the entire family shouting at Peeta.  
I press my palms into my eyes and I hold my hand out for the phone.  
He hands it to me.  
"What?" I groan, half awake, completely forgetting the shit that went down earlier, only focusing on how good sleep sounds right now.  
"Why's wrong?" Mom asks.  
"I'm tired. I was almost asleep." I say in an extremely tired voice. "Can this wait till morning?"  
"No." Prim says.  
Peeta slips back into the bed and I rest back onto his chest, my eyes sliding shut instantaneously.  
"Boo are you okay?" Dad asks.  
"Mmm." I mumble.  
"Are you falling asleep?" Finn asks.  
I sigh, content.  
My hand holding the phone goes limp, falling onto Peeta's chest and stopping.  
I feel myself drifting in and out of consciousness. Everyone is shouting at me but I can't understand them because I'm so tired.  
Peeta chuckles lightly and then I feel the phone moved.  
I'm not even under the covers.  
"She's dead asleep." He says. I hear silence and then I think laughter on the other end. "Okay, I will."  
I hear a light clunk and then a click and the light behind my eyelids disappears.  
"Are you actually asleep?" Peeta whispers, moving my head to his leg so he can tug the covers over my body, then his own.  
He gently moves me back to his chest.  
I make a small noise, which is all I can muster.  
He laughs softly and kissing my forehead.  
I fall asleep.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and the program isn't working  
-KatPeeta22 


	13. Chapter 13

I wake up, alone.  
Dammit doesn't he know I hate waking up without him?  
I sit up and grab my phone.  
I have three missed calls.  
One from Mom, one Finn and one Annie.  
I sigh and dial Annie.  
It's eleven.  
"Hey Kat." She says.  
"Hey Ann. You called?" I ask.  
"Yeah uh...you were pretty delirious last night." She says.  
"Last night?" I ask.  
"Yeah. Don't you remember?" She asks curiously.  
"No." I say, slightly confused.  
"We talked to you on the phone. You were mumbling nonsense. About ice cream, I think."  
I yawn.  
"Yeah well I was really tired." I reply.  
"I get it. Well I just called to check in. Bye." She says.  
"Bye." I mutter  
I hang up.  
I sigh and drop my phone on the bed.  
It's fairly dark in here with the blinds closed, but with them open, it would be super bright because its 11 in the morning.  
I sigh and roll onto my stomach.  
I drift off again.

...

"Baby," Peeta murmers, waking me up.  
"Mmm." I mumble.  
He's sitting on the edge of my side of the bed.  
"Sweetie get up." He says, rubbing my cheek with his thumb.  
"Mmm mmm." I mumble, saying no.  
"Please?" He asks sweetly.  
I sigh and rub my eyes.  
I force them open, tears from the light pouring down my cheeks.  
He laughs softly and wipes them.  
"I took your car. I didn't think you'd mind." He says.  
I shrug, not really caring.  
"I got breakfast." He says.  
I stare at him.  
"What time is it?" I ask, my voice laced with tiredness.  
He glances down at his phone.  
"It's noon." He says.  
I sit up.  
"On Monday I'm gonna have to go into work and promote one of the employees to manager. And I've got to tell them I'm moving." I say.  
"Okay," he says.  
I push the covers off me and sit up.  
"I'm gonna go shower." I say.  
"Eat first," he says.  
I want to tell him no but he did get the food for us.  
"Alright." I say.  
He hands me a coffee and a donut, the exact same for himself.  
We eat in silence, ocasially sipping coffee.  
"Did you mean what you said last night?" He asks.  
He's in jeans and a leather jacket.  
God he's so sexy.  
"What did I say?" I ask gently.  
"That you wanted three kids. One girl and two boys." He says. "And you can only see yourself with me in the future."  
Is this bugging him?  
I set my cup down.  
He's on the bed across from ours.  
"If I upset you when I said that-"  
"Did you mean it?" He cuts in.  
Well I'm not gonna lie to him.  
"Yeah. I...I did." I say. "Did you mean it?"  
"Yes." He says.  
"Did I upset you...?" I ask slowly, nervous for the answer.  
"No. You made me so happy." He says.  
"Good." I say. I stand up. "I'm gonna go shower." I say.  
"Okay." He says. I pause for a moment.  
"Are we going anywhere today?" I ask.  
"Do you want to go somewhere?" He asks.  
"Depends where." I say.  
"Well I personally don't want to be in here all day." He says.  
"Me either." I reply.  
"Then how about we go to the mall?"  
I do need more winter clothes.  
"I guess."  
I get out light skinny blue jeans, a lilac long sleeve shirt and a new bra and underwear and then walk into the bathroom.  
I put the water on hot and strip down, stepping into the water and shutting the curtain.  
I wrinkle my nose in disgust when I remember I don't have my coconut shampoo.  
I sigh and grab another one out of the fifty zillion shampoos in hotel bottles and grin, lathering my head in it and washing it out, washing my body with the same substance.  
I shave and then shut off the water and stepping out, wrapping my body in a towel.  
I can clearly hear my phone blaring.  
I stick my head out of the door, in nothing but a towel.  
"Who is it?" I call.  
"Um...it's some New York number." He says. "Thresh?" He asks.  
I sigh and step out of the bathroom, grabbing my phone off the nightstand.  
"Hello?" I ask.  
"Hey boss." It's of course Thresh and he sounds exahusted.  
"What's up?" I ask.  
"Well I'm scheduled to work today but my wife had the baby yesterday. Linda said she told you." He says.  
"Yeah." I say.  
"And I really don't think I can come in today. Or...till Monday. I'm scheduled every day but I need to help with the baby..." He says.  
"Okay. Family comes first." I say. "Take time off. Be with the baby." I say.  
"Thank you." He sounds relived.  
"No problem. Hey, do you think you can be in at say...nine in the morning on Monday?" I ask.  
"Yeah." He replies.  
"Okay. We have a meeting." I say.  
"Alright. Thank's again." He says.  
"No problem."  
I hang up.  
Peeta is staring at me with a dark blue in his eyes.  
I giggle and head into the bathroom.  
I dress quickly and towel dry my hair, which is still slightly curly from yesterday.  
I take my fingers through it, grab my dirty clothes and walk out of the bathroom.  
"I have to make a few phone calls before we go." I say.  
Peeta nods.  
I have eight employees.  
Cato  
Clove  
Linda  
Thresh  
Alexa  
Opal  
Marcus  
April  
I first dial Cato. I don't need to call Clove since she's married to Cato. They have a baby too.  
"Hello?" He asks through laughter.  
"Cato?" I ask.  
He clears his throat.  
"Yes?" He asks. "Boss" he adds quickly.  
"Do you think you and Clove can be in on Monday at nine? We have a meeting." I say.  
"Yeah. Yeah sure." He says.  
"Alright. Thanks." I reply.  
"No problem."  
I hang up and dial Linda.  
"Hello?" She asks.  
"Hey Linda. Can you be in at nine on Monday? We're having a meeting." I say.  
She coughs.  
"I thought I had Monday off..." She trails off.  
"Oh your not working. It's only for a little while. For a meeting." I say.  
I know most people don't understand. But I own a business. I'm her boss. And that was rude. Especially in business.  
"Okay then...I guess." She says.  
She's the youngest employee, only seventeen.  
"Wait, you have school, right?" I ask.  
"No I don't. I'm on break." She says.  
"Oh. Okay then." I say.  
She hangs up.  
And hanging up on me like that. Dammit she's rude.  
I roll my eyes, letting a frustrated sigh escape my lips.  
She's only Prim's age. Lay off.  
I don't have to call Thresh because I already told him. I start hiring at seventeen years old.  
I dial Alexa, who's eighteen.  
"Hello?" She asks, extremely breathless. I hear a males voice in the background.  
I try so hard not to laugh. Either she was just running for a while with her friend, or she was in an intense major make out session. Or she was busy having sex.  
I bite my lip, my shoulders shaking silently with laughter.  
"Hey Alexa." I say.  
I can tell she's trying to catch her breath.  
"Can you be in at work at nine on Monday for a meeting?" I ask.  
"Sure." She says.  
"Okay. Thanks." I hang up and burst into laughter.  
"What's funny?"  
"My employee!" I gasp. "She was totally breathless!" I burst.  
He stares at me.  
"Either she was jogging or making out or having sex." I say.  
He raises his eyebrows.  
"And she answered the phone? During sex?" He asks.  
I nod, hysterical.  
"I wouldn't have answered the phone." He says.  
I laugh harder, falling into the bed.  
Peeta joins me.  
I force myself to calm down.  
I dial Opal.  
"Hello boss." She's an extremely formal person. I'm younger than her by twenty years or so. She's forty.  
"Hey Opal. Is it possible for you to be into work at nine on Monday?" I ask.  
"Yes ma'am." She says.  
"Okay. Thanks." I say.  
"Your welcome."  
I hang up.  
I then dial Marcus.  
I'm honestly friends with all the employees. They were concerned about me, because, and I'm quoting Cato "you look like shit"  
They want me to get back with him. Little do they know that I am.  
"Hey, hey, hey, boss." We're all friendly. We act like best friends. The only one extremely formal is Opal. But even she acts fun when we do.  
"Hey Marcus. Can you be in at nine on Monday?" I ask.  
"Sure." He says.  
"Ok thanks." I hang up.  
I then dial the very last person, April.  
"Hey Kat." And they know I hate it when they call me boss. They try not to but it's a habit. April calls me Kat, which I'd much rather prefer.  
"Hey April. Can you be in at nine on Monday?" I ask.  
"Sure." She says. "How are you? With Peeta and everything? Are you doing okay?"  
See what I mean?  
"I'm getting there." I say, my voice softening.  
I put my finger to Peeta's lips when he goes to say something.  
He sighs and remains silent.  
"Okay. Well you know you call whenever." She says.  
"Thanks April." I say.  
"No problem." I hang up.  
I'm not mad at Alexa. How she hung up and everything. I'm friends with her. She's very...what's the word? Very blunt and straightforward.

Okay, this was sort of short but whatever.  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything  
-KatPeeta22 


	14. Chapter 14

**Things heat up big time with Kat's family.****  
****WARNING: this chapter is intense and emotional. More emotional then I think I have EVER written. You have been warned.**

When I wake up on Monday, it's nine fifteen.  
Peeta's coming with me.  
"Shit!" I shout. I shake Peeta's shoulder, standing up and pulling on my jeans from yesterday and a random shirt.  
He looks at the clock, mutters a swear and then joins me in grabbing random clothes.  
I tug my shirt on and button my pants, grabbing my phone that has a missed call and slipping on my boots, running my fingers impatiently though my hair.  
Peeta is ready.  
It's nine nineteen now.  
I grab my purse which contains me wallet and keys and then run out of the house, Peeta behind me.  
I fling myself into the car.  
Peeta buckles up.  
I slam down into the gas and drive like I do when I'm angry, breaking the speed limit, swerving around cars.  
I'm swearing the whole time.  
I park in my spot and get out, grabbing my purse.  
Peeta takes my hand and we walk quickly inside.  
We don't really have rules when nobody is here.  
It's closed now anyways. We don't open till eleven.  
"Shit I'm sorry." I say. "We overslept." I add.  
Everyone has their eyes narrowed slightly.  
"Who's this?" Alexa asks, waggling we eyebrows.  
"Guys this is Peeta. Peeta this is everyone." I say.  
Their eyes widen.  
They don't comment, they just shake hands with Peeta.  
I decided I'm gonna promote Opal. She's so mature and she's one of the best. She really deserves it.  
"Okay. You guys are probably gonna be pissed." I say.  
They remain silent.  
Peeta sits down on the counter, remaining silent.  
"I'm moving to Washington." I say.  
"What!" Clove says.  
"What the hell! No!" April bursts.  
Peeta looks slightly shocked.  
I just laugh.  
"What the hell? Yes." I say.  
"Why?" Cato demands, pulling off the sports bra he was just modeling.  
"Because that's where Peeta lives and he can't come back for a few months." I say.  
"So do long distance." Alexa says.  
"Do you guys honestly think after the shit that went down, we want to do long distance?" I say.  
They all think and then Opal sighs.  
"No." She says.  
"Who's gonna run the store?" Thresh asks.  
"Opal. Your promoted to manager. Marcus, your assistant manager." I say.  
Peeta coughs.  
I look back at him, knowing he's trying to get my attention.  
His eyes flit to the door and then back to me.  
I look at the door to see it opening.  
I'm about to say "we're closed" but then I see its just Finn and Annie.  
"Are we interrupting?" Annie asks politely. She gets it too, because of her business.  
"We probably are. Who cares." Finn says.  
I roll my eyes.  
"I thought you guys didn't get back to tomorrow." I say.  
"We don't. But we snuck out at five because I want to strangle all of them." Finn says.  
Me and Peeta snicker.  
All of the employees know Finn and Annie.  
They both go and sit down next to Peeta, whispering.  
"Is that all?" April asks glumly.  
I think for a moment.  
Shit. I don't even remember because I didn't have time to take my meds.  
"Don't forget the keys." Peeta speaks up.  
I snap my fingers.  
"Yes! The keys!" I say.  
He sniggers and looks down.  
I start digging in my bag for them.  
"Fuck." I mutter.  
I walk over to the counter and dump my purse.  
"I think I locked my keys in the car." I say.  
Peeta snorts and walks up behind me, plucking my keys from the pile.  
I sigh sharply, irritated.  
"How do you do that?" I snap, whipping around.  
He laughs.  
"Do what?" He asks, placing the keys in my hands.  
I made two more keys.  
I fumble with the keychain.  
"Make everything look so easy!" I burst, trying to get the two keys off the chain.  
He takes the keys and gets them off easily.  
Everyone laughs silently.  
I glare at him.  
"I hate you." I say.  
"No you don't." He says.  
I sigh.  
"I hate when your right." I say, pecking his lips and then walking over to the rack and getting two keychains that are in packages.  
I reach over the counter and get the scissors from the drawer, cutting them open. They're both black.  
I put the keys on them.  
"What are you doing?" Peeta asks, shocked laced in his voice. "You can't just open stuff like that." He says.  
I snort.  
"Please. This is my store. I could set a tent up on the top of isle twelve, have sex in it and then put it back in the package and sell it."  
Everyone bursts out laughing as I toss the keys to Opal and Marcus.  
"Wanna test that. I bet you can't get that tent up there." Peeta says.  
I raise my eyebrows challengingly.  
Everyone knows I'm extremely stubborn and competitive.  
"Oh really?" I say, throwing the garbage away.  
"Really." He says.  
"Alright. Lets test this."  
His eyes widen as I jog toward isle twelve.  
"I didn't mean for you to actually do it!" He says.  
I ignore him.  
Everyone follows me.  
I grab the smallest tent I see.  
I toss it up onto the top of the isle.  
"How do you plan on getting up there?" He asks.  
I roll my eyes and climb up the racks.  
I cough.  
"Jesus Christ. There's so much dust up here." I say.  
"Wait before we try this. You have to bet something." Finn says.  
The door opens in the front.  
Johanna?  
She looks up at me.  
"I'm not gonna bother asking." She says.  
She walks over to us.  
"Actually. I take that back. What the hell are you doing?" She says.  
Peeta sighs and explains.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask.  
"Well...it's not just me, exactly..."  
Oh my god.  
I feel my anger start to bubble over a bit.  
"Please don't tell me my dad is here-"  
The door opens and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE walks in.  
"Katniss!" Mother bursts, everyone rushing over.  
I sigh and look at Peeta.  
He looks irritated.  
He crosses his arms.  
I cross mine.  
"What are you doing!" Mom demands.  
"I believe I'm supposed to be the one asking that question." I say.  
"Well..." They don't even have a plausible response.  
I take out my phone from my pocket and text Peeta.  
Me: I'm gonna fucking scream  
His phone beeps loudly.  
He pulls it out and sighs.  
"Who are you texting?" Dad demands. "Another girl?"  
"Dad!" I burst.  
"What? He's cheating on you. I bet all my money." He says.  
I swear to god I hate my family.  
I like Peeta's family but I seriously hate mine.  
"What are you doing up there?" Mom presses.  
I sneeze, the dust getting to me.  
I then slip on the dust and then feel myself airborne.  
I hear panicked cries, a clatter and then I'm caught by Peeta.  
"You win the bet." He says, trying to calm me down.  
He sets me down easily.  
I stumble and he catches me again.  
I'm slightly dizzy.  
I blink multiple times till my vision is completely back to normal.  
I hop down, grabbing his arm to steady himself.  
I go to climb back up but he grabs my waist and pulls me down.  
"No." He says.  
"I have to get the tent." I say.  
He looks hesitant.  
"Just leave it." He says.  
"No." I break from his grasp and climb halfway up, sneezing multiple times and pulling the tent down.  
I hand the tent to Peeta and he puts it back on the self, lifting me down.  
"Katniss come here." Dad orders.  
I cross my arms.  
"No." I say.  
He looks pissed.  
"Come here."  
I look at Peeta and then sigh and follow him.  
"I want you to break up with him. Right here. Right now." He says.  
"No." I hiss.  
"He's a terrible person! He's probably plotting to kill you! He bet you that you couldn't put a tent up there!" He bursts. "He's irresponsible. Stupid. He's bad for you and he doesn't really love you!"  
Each word feeling like a stab in the chest.  
I feel tears flowing down my cheeks.  
I hate him.  
I shove everything angrily in my purse, trying not to breakdown.  
I hear everyone whispering on the other side of the store.  
My dad follows me, snatching my car keys.  
What the fuck!  
"Give me the keys." I snarl.  
I will call the police. I know he's my father but this is like harassment.  
"No." He says.  
I'm not exactly being quite.  
"Give me the fucking car keys or I swear to god." I say.  
"No. Break up with him right now." He says.  
Everyone is behind us, hearing all of this.  
"No." I say.  
"John-" mom tries.  
"Don't Linda. He's plotting to kill her!" He bursts.  
He smells like...alcohol.  
"He is not!" I burst at the same time Peeta says "I am not!"  
"Yes he is. Don't let his brainwash you." He says.  
"Fine. You wanna okay games? I'll play too." I say.  
I pull out my phone and dial 911.  
I turn around and stomp into my office, slamming the door and locking it.  
"911 what's your emergency?"  
"My Dad is harassing me, I think it's harassment. He keeps telling me to break up with my boyfriend for no reason and now he took my car keys and it refusing to give them back." I say, walking into the bathroom so I can be positive they won't hear me.  
"Miss, where are you?" The man asks authoratievly.  
"I'm at Kat's sporting goods." I give him the address.  
"Wait, that place doesn't open till 11." He says suspiciously.  
"I own it." I say.  
"Okay. Authorities are on the way."  
The line goes dead.  
I walk out of the office.  
"I just called the cops on you."  
Everyone jaws go slack.  
"Your lying." Dad says.  
Sirens ring through the distance.  
"No. I'm not." I say. "You guys can go." I tell everyone.  
They all shake their heads.  
Friends care. They're there for you, just like them.  
Mom looks pissed, Prim actually looks happy.  
Everyone else is shocked.  
"I'm kind of with Katniss on this one." Mrs. Mellark says.  
All the Mellarks nod.  
"Why? Your our best friends!" Dad bursts.  
"Yes. And Peeta is my son, Katniss is his girlfriend, probably going to be his wife and the mother of my grand babies one day." She says. "All the stuff your saying about Peeta is so obnoxious!"  
"She's it not going to marry him!" Dad shouts.  
Everyone falls silent.  
"If he asks...I'm gonna say yes." I say.  
"You can't! Your my daughter and I won't allow it! I'm in charge of you!" He shouts, grabbing my arm roughly.  
"No your not." I hiss. "I'm twenty. I'm an adult. You have no control over me anymore and you can't tell me what I can and can't do. I don't plan on seeing you again, and I assure, my kids won't meet you." I say. Mom lets out a strangled cry.  
Dad is cutting off the circulation in my arm and it hurts like hell.  
"They'll meet Mom. And prim and everyone else, but not you. And if anyone brings them up." I say. "I swear to god you'll be sorry." I warn.  
"I agree." Peeta says.  
He's so angry it's actually quite scary.  
"Let go." I say to my dad.  
"No." He snarls, tightening his grip.  
Peeta takes a step forward and Rye quickly grabs him, whispering in his ear, holding him back.  
The doors burst open and a policeman walks in.  
"Let her go." He orders.  
Dad stares at them, his grip extremely tight.  
I wince and dad laughs evilly, letting me go with a shove.  
Peeta starts to thrash around and Graham has to help Rye, then Justice and Kegan.  
"Your under arrest."  
Everyone's jaws so slack and I start to feel slightly guilty.  
"For what!" Dad bursts, making a bolt for the door.  
Mr. Mellark stops him.  
The cop puts him in handcuffs.  
He digs my keys out of his pocket.  
He hands them to me.  
"Thank you." I whisper.  
My arm is gonna bruise.  
The boys release Peeta and he glares at them, walking over to me.  
"Unless Miss Everdeen decides to press charges. Then your not under arrest." The cop adds.  
The most he really did was grab my arm and take my keys...I don't see why he should go to jail. And really I don't feel like doing any court shit. I don't have any time for that at all.  
I run my hands over my face multiple times.  
"Can't you just give him a warning?" I ask.  
The cop looks shocked.  
"You want to let him off?" He asks.  
"Well...he's still my dad and I don't want him to go to jail and I don't feel like pressing charges because that involves court which ups the chance of it going public and I don't feel like dealing with that." I say. "Because that can affect the store and put probably all of us in the media." I say.  
I want a restraining order but I don't know about that.  
"Can't you just tell him to stay away from me?" I ask.  
I glance at Peeta and can tell by hardly a glance that he feels the same.  
"And maybe Peeta too." I add. "Peeta's my boyfriend." I add quickly when I see that he looks confused.  
He sighs.  
"Do you live together?" He asks.  
"No. But I'm moving in with him on Wendesday."  
The house is already packed halfway.  
"Alright. Okay. You better stay away from them unless Miss Everdeen tells you otherwise." The cop says.  
"And if I don't listen?" Dad says, pissed.  
"You go to jail whether she wants you to or not." The cop says. "And it goes for the same with the people that live with you." He says.  
"No!" I burst. "That's my mom  
And sister! I want to see them." I say.  
"Well then they have to move out." He says.  
Mom actually looks pissed.  
"You make this decision." He says. "Katniss, you call this number when the decision is made, for now, you can't do anything about it."  
He hands me his card and leaves.  
Move is furious. The most mad I have ever seen her.  
I think it's at me.  
Prim looks so upset.  
Everyone is silent.  
Mom clears her throat.  
"I think we should divorce." She says.  
Dads eyes snap up.  
"Just because of her!" He growls.  
"She's my daughter. And I love her. You hurt her physically and mentally. You hurt our friends and family. You have hurt me and Prim physically because your an alcoholic and you are abusive." She says.  
My jaw is slack.  
"So we're getting divorced. I'm not going to not be able to see my child because your an asshole. And I am getting a restraning order against you for both Prim and I, and Katniss if she wants it." She says. "And Peeta."  
Prim has tears in her eyes, of joy.  
"So your done saying he'll come around? This has been going on since Katniss left when I was fourteen and just staring high school!" Prim says.  
"I'm done with him completely. This is for my girls and my unborn grand babies." Mom says.  
High school.  
Fourteen.  
This is why Prim has been failing.  
I feel my eyes fill with tears.  
"You've been hurting them?" I hiss.  
I start to reach for my bow under the counter and Cato, who knows what I'm reaching for, grabs my arm.  
"Don't." He says.  
I stare at him.  
Peeta is on his phone, eyes narrowed, tense.  
"Yes. And now, I'm not going to just hurt you, I'm going to kill you."  
He pulls a gun out from his pocket.  
My head swirls while everyone is frozen in place, tears welling in all their eyes.  
I lean on the counter, shutting my eyes.  
"Or I can kill your pretty little boyfriend. Choose your pick." He says. "Put the phone away!" Dad then shouts.  
Peeta immediately shoves the phone in his pocket.  
"Kill me." He says without thought.  
All I need is one second.  
My dads eyes flit to Peeta for two seconds and I grab my bow from under the counter, loading it and pointing it directly at his heart.  
"You move I release this arrow and the last words I hear is I hate you." I hiss.  
"Or the last words you hear is I wish I wore a condom." He says.  
I raise my eyebrows, not insulted.  
Peeta's gonna give me an out. I know him.  
He coughs and my dad looks at him.  
I jerk the arrow up so it shoots am inch above his head, shocking him.  
He drops the gun and it sets off on a light, causing a chain reaction, setting sparks off.  
They fly from the ceiling.  
Screams fills the air.  
"Get down!" Haymitch shouts.  
We all drop to the floor and the fire alarm blares, setting off the sprinklers on the ceiling.  
I peek my head over the counter to see something across the store on fire.  
My stores on fire.  
Yes! I've got a life proof case!  
The fire spreads quickly.  
I need to do something!  
I snatch my purse and take all the money from the cash register.  
I grab a rope off the rack as the fire spreads quickly.  
I lunge at my dad and tie his hands, sirens blaring in the distance.  
"EVERYBODY OUT!" I shout.  
Everyone files out, coughing.  
We all look around, making sure everyone is here.  
New Yorker's are stopping.  
I force my dad to Peeta.  
"Wait! Audrey!" Jessica shouts, bursting into tears.  
It's snowing and freezing.  
I ignore the protests from Peeta as I rush back inside.  
"AUDREY!" I scream.  
I can hear her screaming.  
I rush towards her voice.  
More than half of the store is on fire now.  
The screaming stops suddenly and I pull out my phone, going on the flashlight.  
Where is she?  
I start to sob.  
I see a head of blond hair, passed out on the ground.  
I scream and grab her tiny hand.  
I slip and fall face first, catching myself at the last second.  
The fire is literally an inch from her feet.  
I tug, pulling her away and lifting her into my arms and running back out, coughing.  
There's tons of firefighters, people screaming and the scene being tapped off, news reporters.  
Peeta, Mom, Prim, Jessica and Jordan are the most frantic.  
I'm coughing intensely.  
The person holding Peeta back is shoved, by Peeta. Peeta then jumps over the rope just as I start to get dizzy.  
He scoops me, still holding Audrey, into his arms and goes back over the rope.  
I clutch onto him and Jessica takes Audrey, who's passed out.  
They take her onto a stretcher.  
I watch, tears pouring down my cheeks, after everything I worked up to in school, my career burns down.  
I see the chief firefighter shake his head.  
I start to sob.  
Peeta hugs me, rubbing my back, silent tears of his own pouring down his cheeks.  
The air smells strongly of smoke.  
It's getting dark, it's snowing, we're all soaked and none of them have a place to stay.  
A small cough escapes my lips.  
I have to be strong.  
I suck in a breath and dry my eyes, turning to face my father, who is being talked to by cops. He's handcuffed.  
"John." I don't call him dad. I'm ashamed to have a speck of his blood in my body.  
Everyone silences.  
He looks at me, silent.  
"I hope your happy. I just want you to know that I hate you with a burning passion and you will never see me again." I say.  
"You'll never see any of us again." Mom says.  
"Guys look...I'm sorry-"  
"Sorry?" I ask.  
I gesture wildly at the ashes of my career.  
"Sorry doesn't cut it. You said terrible things. You tried to kill me and Peeta. You destroyed the only thing that keeps me a house. A car. Do you realize that now, because of you, all these people don't have jobs. Because you have problems, they don't have jobs. Because of you, everything is destroyed."  
The camera crew got all of that. I don't care.  
"What do you expect me-all of us to do now?" I say. "Thresh just had a kid on Thanksgiving. Cato and Clove have a one year old. A four year old almost died today. Do you know that if I got there two seconds later than I did, she'd be dead?" I say. "Just because I blew a red light back home over an accident." I say. "Your a disgrace to this family. You sicken me. I hate you with a burning passion. When you get out of jail, I guarantee you'll have grand kids. They will never even hear your name. And if they do, I will be sure to explain that they're never to speak of you again." I say.  
"They're not allowed to speak of their grandfather?" He snarls.  
I step closer to him.  
"Your not then grandfather." I say. "Mr. Mellark is. Not you." I say.  
"Peeta's not going to be the father." He snarls.  
I snort.  
"Yeah he is."  
I turn to the officers holding his arms.  
"Thank you. I want a restraining order." I say.  
They nod.  
"So do I." Mom says. "And one for my youngest. And a divorce."  
"We'll mail you the papers." The officer says. "All you have to do is sign. Save you the court trouble."  
With that, they shove my father into the police car.  
"You guys can stay with me." I say.  
They all nod.  
I'm gonna lock myself in my room so I can cry anyways.  
Peeta turns to all my eight ex employees.  
"You guys need jobs?" He asks.  
They nod desperately.  
"Your hired." He says.  
"Where?" Alexa asks.  
Peeta gives them the address.  
"You guys can start tomorrow." He turns to me. "I've got an idea for you." He whispers.  
"Can you drive?" I practically beg.  
He nods.  
I dig through my soaked purse and get the keys.  
"Whoever gets to the car first gets to ride with us. Everyone else, get a taxi."  
"Can we stay too?" Finn asks.  
I nod.  
We walk off to the car.  
Obviously me and Peeta and then Mom, Prim and Jo.  
I buckle up and rest my head against the window, silent tears falling from my eyes.  
How can I live with Peeta now? I'm unemployed. I don't have money. It's gonna run out fast and I can't just expect Peeta to support both of us alone.  
Tears slip out of my cheeks.  
I unbuckle and get out, walking upstairs and walking into the unlocked apartment, going into my room and slamming the door.  
I strip naked and pull on underwear, a sweatshirt and sweatpants, not caring about a bra.  
I lay down on my bed.  
I can't seem to find tears.  
The house fills with familiar voices.  
I pull my hood up and roll onto my stomach.  
The tears start.  
I stay quiet, the sobs muffled by my sheets.  
I hear the door open and then a small hand rests on my head.  
"Katnus don't be sad." Audrey whispers.  
I wipe my tears and sit up, criss crossed.  
"Hey Audrey, do you think I can talk to Katniss for a little while?" Peeta asks.  
She's wise for a four year old. She turned four on the day before halloween.  
She grins and gets down, slamming the door behind her.  
"Sowy!" She shouts.  
"It's okay." I call.  
Peeta stares at me.  
"Out with it. I know exactly what your thinking but I want to hear it from you." He says.  
"You can't do it. You can't support both of us." I say, shaking my head. "I can't let you do that. I'm gonna have to move in with Mom and Prim-"  
"No. You don't. Because your going to co-own the bakery's." he says. "We both have equal power."  
"I can't let you do that." I say.  
He strides over me.  
"I don't care. I almost lost you today multiple times. Living without you now is not an option." He says.  
I stare at him.  
"Peeta I don't know...I'm not a Mellark..."  
He mutters something under his breath.  
"What?" I ask.  
"I said you will be." He says.  
"Yeah but I'm not. The Mellarks Bakery is a family business. And I'm not family." I say.  
"So what. All your employees I hired isn't family." He says.  
"Right, but if we both own it, then I should be a Mellark." I say.  
"But you will be." He says.  
I shake my head.  
"It doesn't feel right." I say.  
He sits down in front of me.  
"Well I'm not going to propose yet. But I want you to own the bakeries with me. Please?" He begs.  
"Peeta-"  
"Please?" He repeats. I sigh.  
"Okay." I whisper.  
It's nighttime.  
I sniff.  
He places a gentle kiss on my lips.  
"Everyone wants to see you." He whispers.  
I sigh.  
"Am I a terrible person?" I whisper. "I got my dad thrown in jail."  
"No. Your dad got himself thrown in jail." He whispers.  
He pauses.  
"Don't tell anyone I told you, but Rye, Graham, Justice, Finnick and Annie are moving to Washington." He whispers. "Rye, Graham and Justice want to live together." He says.  
I nod thoughtfully and then lean up and kiss him.  
He pulls away after a few seconds.  
"I'm going to go change." He says.  
I have white Hollister sweatpants and a blue Cookie Monster hoodie.  
He walks out and into the bathroom.  
I sigh and walk out into the living room.  
Audrey runs over to me and raises her arms.  
I lift her up.  
"You saved my wife today." She says. I smile at how she said wife instead of life.  
She kisses my cheek.  
"Fank you."  
More tears well in my eyes. This little girl almost died because of my stupid father.  
I hold her tightly to my chest.  
"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." I whisper.  
I go to put her down but she makes a whimper come from the back of her throat and then she clutches me tighter.  
I sit down on the couch.  
"You are such a badass." Rye says.  
"How?" I ask. "By almost killing everyone. By burning down the building. By getting my dad in jail? If that makes me a badass..."  
I hear a loud, familiar, pissed sigh behind me.  
"You didn't almost kill everyone. We all got out there sadly because of you. You didn't burn down the building that was your dad and you most definitely didn't get your dad in jail. That was done all on his own." Peeta says.  
Jessica looks nervous.  
"How close was the fire to getting her?" She whispers.  
"Like an inch. Maybe less." I whisper.  
Audrey fell asleep on my shoulder.  
Her arms are loosely around my shoulders, her head turned slightly to the side.  
"Thank you." Jessica says. "You have no idea..." She whispers.  
But I want to.  
I'm ready for marriage. I'm ready for kids. I'm ready. I'm tired of waiting. I've wanted them my whole life but I don't want them till I'm married so Peeta needs to hurry the fuck up.  
"I'd do it again." Is all I say.  
"Did you guys seriously not believe us when we told you Kat was moving in with me?" Peeta asks.  
"No. I didn't. Not really." Mrs. Mellark says.  
You know what sounds amazing right now?  
Tea and Pretty Little liars.  
I get up and slip into the second bedroom where I have the guest room.  
I rest Audrey in the bed and shut the door softly behind me, flipping on the nightlight on the way out.  
Peeta took my seat.  
I sit down in his laps and wrap my arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly.  
I breath into his neck.  
"Mom I don't think I can stay in Kentucky." Prim whispers.  
"Me either." Mom whispers.  
"You guys should move to Indiana." I comment, looking at Peeta.  
His eyes darken to dark blue.  
I giggle.  
**  
****That was crazy. Seriously that was insane.****  
****Don't hate.****  
****Review****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	15. Chapter 15

Okay just warning you, this court stuff is gonna be done wrong. I know nothing about that stuff.  
Stuff gets emotional again...

When I wake up, I'm on the floor of the kitchen.  
How the hell did I fall asleep on the floor?  
"I don't know where she is." That sounded like Peeta.  
I slowly stand up and walk into the living room.  
"What the hell." I mumble.  
Peeta hugs me.  
"You okay?" He asks.  
"I think so." I mumble. "Why did I just wake up on the floor in there?" I mumble.  
"I don't know." He says.  
I sigh and look around.  
"Can we leave earlier than Wednesday?" I ask carefully.  
"Tomorrow's Wednesday." He says.  
He looks around.  
"We have half the apartment. You expect us to finish packing and hit the road by the end of today?" He asks.  
"Hit the road? Why? Just take our plane. Load your shit on there an have a truck ready when you get off." Finn says.  
"Well we don't exactly need to furniture..."  
"Can we have it?" Rye pitches in.  
I look at Peeta.  
I know be doesn't have a TV in his room and the TV in the living room is small.  
"Everything but the TV's." I say.  
"Yes!" Graham says.  
They look excited.  
Peeta snickers and shakes his head at my decision.  
"What?" I burst. He laughs harder.  
"Oh nothing." He says.  
I sigh and walk off to my bedroom, getting white shredded skinny jeans and a loose light blueish purple thin long sleeve shirt that hangs off one shoulder and really should have a tank top underneath. I don't get one. Why should I, anyways?  
I get a white bra that can be strapless and walk off to the bathroom.  
I shut and lock the door.  
I'm taking a shower and they better not bug me.  
I get in the shower and load my hair in coconut shampoo.  
I wash it out and wash my body and then shave, shut off the water, pull on my clothes and towel dry my hair.  
I take my brush through it wih one hand while brushing my teeth with the other.  
I put my brush away and spit the foam, wash my mouth out and then swish mouthwash around and spit that out too.  
Then I get my perfume out and spray it all over my body and then put it away and walk out of the bathroom.  
"You look adorable!" Annie says.  
Everyone looks at me.  
Rye, Graham, Justice and Kegan's eyes widen and Peeta's go so dark they're almost black.  
I look down.  
All I have is that baggy shirt and the white jeans.  
"Um...thanks?" I say. "Like little kid adorable or..." I trail off.  
"No. Like sexy adorable" Peeta says.  
I'm about to reply when there's a loud, sharp knock on the door.  
I sigh and walk over to the door, unlocking it and opening it.  
There's a very official man in a suit.  
"Are you Katniss Everdeen?" He asks in a booming voice.  
"Yes..." What the hell?  
He hands me a Manila folder and then disappears down the stairs.  
I frown and shut the door, locking it with the chain.  
"Okay, what the hell just happened?" I ask.  
Everyone looks confused.  
"No clue. Open it!" Finn says.  
I sigh and walk to the coffee table, sitting on the floor.  
Everyone crowds around.  
I open the folder and pull out the contents.  
They're in a large ziplock bag.  
I can clearly see "KATNISS J EVERDEEN" and then "JOHN M EVERDEEN" and then the words "RESTRAINING ORDER" all in bold black letter at the right hand corner.  
My heartbeat accelerates and I slowly open the ziplock bag.  
"What is it?" Mom asks, resting her hand on my shoulder.  
"The restraining order." I reply.  
Everyone's eyes widen.  
Peeta sits down on my right and Prim on my left.  
Audrey climbs under the table and then goes right into my lap.  
I run my hand gently through her hair and then pull the papers out.  
Mrs. Mellark holds out a pen to me and I test it on my hand.  
It words.  
I press my tongue to my finger and wipe it off.  
"I have no clue what I'm doing." I mumble.  
I go to sign it put Peeta grabs my wrist and plucks the pen from my hand, a nervous laugh escaping his lips.  
"What?" I ask.  
"You can't. You have to read it." He says.  
"Why?" I demand.  
"Because it could be anything. It could say restraining order but then could actually be you agreeing to have sex with every single man above the age of eighteen in the country." He says.  
"Sign it!" Graham bursts.  
Rye, Justice and Kegan nod hopefully.  
Peeta shoots them an angry glare.  
"This is like twelve pages! Can't I just skim it?" I whine.  
"No." He says.  
I sigh and begin to read, everyone silent in anticipation, Peeta reading with his chin presses to my shoulder, Prim reading as well.  
"See?" I say a half hour later. That thing was twelve pages and small print. Peeta presses his finger to my lips gently, warmth spreading through my body at that small touch.  
He sighs a minute later.  
"Go ahead." He says, handing the pen back to my.  
"Do I have to put my signature I use to sign when I use my card, or do I have to put my entire name in cursive?" I ask.  
"I would put your entire name." Mom says on the couch behind me, gently running her fingers through my hair.  
I sigh and write carefully on the line in cursive "Katniss Joy Everdeen"  
"Okay. Now what?" I ask.  
"Now you take it to the courthouse."  
I hear two giggles.  
"Katniss why do you have a guitar?" Kaitlin asks, walking into the living room with the guitar.  
Johanna snickers.  
"So she can pretend she has musical talent." She says.  
"You guys haven't heard Katniss sing?" Peeta asks.  
I elbow his ribs, shooting him a glare.  
"No. I wouldn't want to." Prim says, snickering.  
All the teenagers snicker.  
Peeta raises his eyebrows.  
He has heard me sing and play that say we got back together.  
"Your guys are serious?" He asks, his jaw slack.  
They all nod.  
"What the hell Katniss! Sing that song you sang to me!" He says.  
"Please don't." Jo says.  
Everyone snickers.  
"Play it." He says. "You guys are gonna regret saying that." Peeta adds.  
I sigh.  
"Fine." I say.  
"Oh I gotta video this!" Jo says.  
I shoot her a glare and sit down on the couch.  
"Do I have to?" I ask.  
"Yes." Peeta says.  
I sigh sharply and start to strum, everyone's eyebrows raising before I even start singing, Johanna holding up her phone.  
Mom and Aunt Kate leave the couch I'm on.

_Suppose I called you up tonight__  
__And told you that I love you__  
__And suppose I said I wanna come back home__  
__And suppose I cried and said I think I've finally learned my lesson__  
__And I'm tired of spending all my time alone__  
__If I told you that I realized you're all I ever wanted__  
__And it's killing me to be so far away__  
__Would you tell me that you love me too__  
__And would we cry together__  
__Or would you simply laugh at me and say___

_I told you so__  
__Oh, I told you so__  
__I told you someday you'd come crawling back and asking me to take you in__  
__I told you so__  
__But you had to go__  
__Now I've found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again___

_If I got down on my knees and told you I was yours forever__  
__Would you get down on yours too and take my hand__  
__Would we get that old time feeling__  
__Would we laugh and talk for hours__  
__The way we did when our love first began__  
__Would you tell me that you've missed me too__  
__And that you've been so lonely__  
__And you've waited for the day that I returned__  
__And we'd live and love forever__  
__And that I'm your one and only__  
__Or would you say the tables finally turned___

_Would you say I told you so__  
__Oh, I told you so__  
__I told you someday you'd come crawling back and asking me to take you in__  
__I told you so__  
__But you had to go__  
__Now I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again___

_Now I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again_

Johanna presses something on her phone and slowly sets it down on the couch.  
"My god." Mom mumbles. "Where the hell did you get that voice! You sure as hell didn't get it from me or your dad!" She says, shocked.  
I shrug shyly.  
"You wrote that?" Finn asks.  
I nod.  
"And then sang it to Peeta?" Annie whispers.  
Johanna is typing furiously on her phone.  
"That was incredible." Prim says.  
"Sing something else!" Audrey squeals.  
I ignore her, eyeing Jo.  
She presses a button and sets her phone down.  
"What'd you just do?" I ask, eyes narrowed.  
She grins and tosses her phone to me.  
She didn't.  
"Johanna! What the fuck!" I burst.  
We begin arguing.  
"Why would youdo that!" I shout.  
"Because you can sing!" She shouts back.  
"I'm deleting it!" I say angrily.  
I stand up and go to delete it.  
She tackles me.  
I shove her and flip onto my stomach.  
"No!" She shouts.  
She sends the phone flying across the living room.  
I get up and lunge for it, Peeta grabbing it.  
"Stop." He says.  
I reach for the phone and he raises his arm.  
He's so tall. There no way I can get it.  
"Give me the phone." I say angrily.  
"No." He says.  
I jump on his back.  
"Give me the phone!" I shout.  
"No." He says, tossing it to Rye who puts it in his pocket.  
I get off Peeta, pissed.  
"Katniss it's just one video on YouTube." Peeta says calmly.  
"But I don't want it on youtube!" I say angrily.  
"Why? Your a really good singer!" Prim says.  
"Because I don't!" I hiss.  
"Why?" She presses.  
I glare at her.  
"I'm going out."  
I stomp off to my bedroom.  
I pull on my black trench coat and my uggs and then grab my keys, wallet and phone and walk into the living room.  
"Where are you going?" Mom asks.  
I grab the Manila envelop.  
"Out." I say.  
"I wanna go!" Audrey whines.  
I stare at her.  
"Does she need a seat?" I ask.  
Jessica shakes her head.  
"Can I take her?" I ask.  
"I guess." She says. "Come here sweetie."  
Audrey walks over to her mom and Jessica helps her change her clothes, puts a jacket on her and little kid boots and then pats her butt.  
"Go on." She says.  
Audrey walks over to me and I take her tiny hand in my own.  
"Can I go?" Maddie whines. She's three.  
"Does she need a seat?" I ask Aunt Annabella.  
She nods.  
"Yeah but I have it." She says.  
"Well then I'll take her too." I say  
She nods and helps Madison get dressed.  
Peeta gets Maddie's cars eat and follows me downstairs, me holding Audrey's hand in my left and Maddie's in my right.  
He sets up Maddie's car seat in the car and I make sure Audrey is buckled.  
I put Maddie in her seat and buckle her.  
"Are you sure about going alone with two toddlers?" Peeta asks.  
I look at him over my shoulder.  
"I'm sure I'll be doing it one day with two boys." I say.  
He smiles.  
"Okay. If you have any problems...call Johanna." He says.  
Everyone's phones broke in the water last night during the fire except for mine and Johanna's simply because we both have life proof cases.  
"Okay."  
I peck his lips. I pause.  
"Actually..." I pause, shutting Maddie's door. "Do you want to come with me?"  
He nods.  
"Please."  
I smile and kiss him.  
"Go get dressed." I say softly, pecking his lips.  
He smiles and jogs upstairs.  
I get in the car and start it.  
Maybe I overreacted about money last night. I have almost two million dollars in my bank and I have about nine hundred in my purse.  
So I guess you could say I'm wealthy...  
I put the heat on.  
Peeta comes in the car.  
His hair is in his normal curls, his jeans are light blue jeans and he's got a leather jacket on.  
God is he sexy.  
I back out and head towards the courthouse.  
Audrey and Madison start to scream sing some song I've never heard.  
I smile and look at Peeta to see him smiling too.  
We pull in at the courthouse.  
"You get Maddie and I get Audrey." I say, shutting off the car.  
Peeta nods.  
I grab my purse and shove my phone in it.  
I open up Audrey's door and get her out.  
She holds her arms up at me and I lift her up onto my hip.  
Peeta lifts Madison.  
I get the Manila envelope and walk inside with Peeta behind me.  
The lady behind the counter...she's scary.  
She has a pink wig on a blue eyeliner, pink colored contacts...her clothes are abstract.  
I look at Peeta.  
"It's a clown!" Audrey says. "Maddie look!" Both Maddie and Audrey start to giggle.  
"Shh!" I hiss.  
Both girls fall silent.  
I walk up to the counter and hand the lady the form.  
She fingers through it.  
"Katniss Everdeen." She mumbles, her eyes lifting to mine. "Were all of these people at your store when this incident happened?" She asks.  
"My entire family was. So was his. But yes, the four of us were there." I say.  
She nods.  
I puts up a finger and picks up the phone and calls someone.  
We stand there awkwardly.  
"Right this way."  
I look at Peeta with a worried expression.  
He takes my free hand with his and we follow the lady.  
She leads us to someone's office.  
We ushers us inside and walks out, shutting the door behind us.  
The man sitting at the desk is plump and in a suit.  
"Katniss Everdeen." He says.  
I nod.  
"Please sit. Make you selfs at home." He looks at me and Peet and then the girls. "I didn't know you had children." He says.  
"Oh I don't. They're my cousins." I say. The words left my lips before I can stop them. I just told this man that Peeta and I are relegated by saying Audrey is my cousin. "Well she's my cousin. This one is his cousin." I say.  
He nods and gets out two coloring books and tons of crayons.  
"Wanna draw?" He asks Maddie and Audrey.  
Both girls nod excitedly.  
The man gets up and sets the crayons and coloring books at a little kid table.  
Peeta and I set the girls down and they go to the table and start to draw, giggling.  
The man leans forward onto the desk.  
"Now. I understand that you lost quite a bit in that fire. Your entire business, which was very successful, might I add." He says.  
"Yes." I say.  
"Okay. I want you to make a list of everything you lost in that fire. Stocks don't count." He says.  
I clear my throat.  
"Why am I making this list, exactly?" I ask.  
"Well so we can rebuild it and replace everything anyone lost, of course!" He says.  
My jaw goes slack.  
"Your going to replace everything? The building as well?" I ask.  
He nods.  
"We want to make it bigger and better, but unfortunately, the largest location that would be perfect for you is all the way across the country."  
"Where?" I ask.  
"Seattle, Washington." My eyes bulge.  
The odds are definitely in my favor today.  
Peeta lets out a shocked puff of air.  
"Why do you look so shocked, Miss Everdeen, Mr. Mellark?" These asks.  
My eyes flit to his nameplate.  
Plutarch R Heavensbee.  
"I'm actually moving to Seattle." I say.  
His eyebrows raise.  
"Tomorrow."  
He laughs.  
"Well the odds are in your favor today!" He says.  
Peeta and I both laugh nervously.  
Plutarch passes me a pen and pad.  
"Anything you lost, or anyone else that was at the store at the time." He says.  
Well I know for a fact everyone but Jo and I lost their phones.  
I pull my phone from my pocket and hand it to Peeta.  
I don't have to even tell him.  
He starts typing away, my phone beeping around five minutes later.  
All I have is MY STORE  
Peeta sets my phone in front of me and I begin to write.  
It takes me five minutes.  
"What about Barbie!" Audrey whines.  
I look at her to see her staring directly at me.  
"What hon?" I ask.  
"My Barbie died yesterday!"  
I look at Plutarch and he nods, smiling.  
Audrey's Barbie  
I go over the list and look at Peeta.  
"Anything to add?" I ask.  
He write down two things and then slides the notepad over to Plutarch.  
His eyebrows rise.  
"Who many people were there yesterday?" He asks.  
"Forty one." Peeta says. He pauses. "Actually, we have to add something."  
He takes my phone and dials a number I don't know.  
"Hey Arleen. Can I talk to one of the new employees?" He asks.  
I can't believe I forgot them.  
I takes the notepad back. "Hey um..." His eyes slide to mine and then he hands me the phone.  
"Hello?" I ask.  
"Hey Kat!" It's Alexa.  
"Hey. Um I need to know what all of you lost in the fire." I say.  
I add a number twelve next to "iPhone 5"  
I write everything they're saying and then slide the papers to Plutarch.  
"Okay. Bye."  
I hang up and rest my phone on the table.  
"Okay. We're done here." He says.  
"When will we um..." I don't want to be rude.  
"Tomorrow. It will all be sent to your apartment. We'll get you your store in Seattle." He says.  
"Thank you." I whisper.  
"Wait till Sunday and the store will be completely ready. We'll send the address with everything tomorrow." He says.  
Oh my god.  
"Thank you..." I can't even tell him how much of a weight he's lifted.  
"And we will have Mockingjay Tech hire the best. What are the requirements?" He asks.  
"Seventeen and older." I say.  
He nods.  
"Okay." We shake hands and then I get Audrey and Peeta gets Maddie and we leave.  
"Oh miss Everdeen!" Plutarch calls me back.  
I go back to his office.  
"You filed a restraning order. You mother wants the same for your sister and her?" He asks.  
I look at Peeta. He does too.  
"Yes. And Peeta." I say.  
"Okay. Those will be sent tomorrow as well." He says.  
I nod and head out.  
We buckle up the girls and get in the car.  
I don't feel like going home. Not yet.  
I am getting everything back.  
We have the radio on, stopped at a light.  
We all hum along.  
"Where are we going?" Peeta asks.  
"I don't know." I sigh.  
We pass a Barbie store, next to build a bear.  
Both Maddie and Audrey start babbling.  
Eh...why not?  
I pull into the parking lot.  
"How about we spoil some toddlers?" I ask.  
Peeta grins and nods.  
We get out of the car and go into Barbie.  
There's tons of kids running around.  
We set the girls down and watch them as they play.  
I rest my head against Peeta's shoulder.  
Audrey comes running over to me.  
"Can I get these? Pleassse?" She begs.  
She's got two barbies. Ones got straight blonde hair and the other has curly dark hair.  
I bend down.  
"As long as you get them clothes." I say.  
She grins and runs off.  
Maddie then comes over, asking the exact same thing.  
I tell her the exact same thing.  
She runs off.  
"You are so spoiling them." Peeta says when I rest my head against his shoulder.  
"Well they deserve it." I whisper.  
They both run back, all of the barbies dressed.  
I take them and go up to the counter.  
"Your Katniss Everdeen, aren't you?" The lady asks nicely as I swipe my card. It's it expensive. Only twenty.  
"Yeah..." I say as she bags them up.  
"Well...good luck." She says.  
I smile.  
"Thank you." I say before we walk out.  
I take them to build a bear.  
"Go crazy." I say.  
Peeta snickers at me as the girls run off, following the instructions of the lady helping them.  
"How do you afford all this?" Peeta asks curiously.  
I take his hand.  
"Well..." I suck in a breath. "I may have nine hundred dollars in my purse. And I might possible have two million in my bank."  
His jaw goes slack.  
"Please don't think of me as some rich snob." I beg.  
"I don't. I guess I'm just shocked." He says.  
I sigh and nod knowingly.  
My phone starting ringing.  
"Hello?" I ask.  
"You have no food and we're starving." Jo complains.  
"I'll take care of it." I hang up on her.  
The girls finish their bears around a half hour later and I pay and pull them out of the store.  
We get back into the car and head for the grocery store while the girls play with their toys.  
I start to feel bad about not getting anything for the rest of the kids. Like Ryan and Jacob, the six year old twins. Of Katilin, who's eight and Stella who's twelve.  
"Can you go get something for the other kids?" I whisper to Peeta, hanging him a hundred.  
He stares at me.  
"Are you sure?" He asks.  
"I feel bad." I say.  
He nods and kisses me before taking the keys from me and heading across the street.  
Nobody knows just how much money I have.  
I have had that account my entire life. I just keep putting half my paycheck in it for my entire life and eventually, the money adds up.  
I quickly get a ton of groceries.  
Someone covers their hands with my eyes and I gasp, whipping around.  
"God would you stop doing that?" I burst.  
He laughs.  
"Sorry."  
I sigh and lift Madison into the cart, Peeta holding a sleeping Audrey.  
"Lets go."  
We ring up and I pay.  
Peeta helps me load the car.  
We drive home, the girls asleep.  
"You surprise me." Peeta mumbles.  
"Why?" I ask.  
"Because your so...nice sometimes." He says. "Here's your change, by the way."  
"Keep it." I say.  
"No." He says.  
"Keep it." I repeat.  
He ignores me and puts the money in my wallet.  
I scowl and pull into my spot at the apartment.  
Peeta takes Maddie out with her still in the carseat and I grab my purse and get Audrey.  
She sighs softly and lifts her head and then falls back against my shoulder.  
We carry them upstairs, the bears in one hand and the two barbies in the other.  
"Spare room." I say to Peeta before we walk in the door.  
Everyone stares at us.  
"You spoiled them?" Jessica asks, shocked.  
"Yeah. Is that a bad thing?" I ask.  
She shakes her head.  
Peeta and I carry them into the spare room and rest them on the beds.  
We walk back out.  
"What about food?" Jo says.  
I sigh and go back downstairs to the car.  
Peeta trails behind me.  
We get all the groceries and head upstairs.  
He helps me put everything away even though they're not staying there.  
I start to boil water, running my hand through my hair.  
"Can you go give everything to them?" I ask.  
He shakes his head.  
"Okay then I'll do it." I say, shrugging.  
He shakes his hand and shuts the oven off.  
"What are you doing?" I ask, moving to turn on the stove.  
He stands in my way.  
"Peeta!" I say. "Move!"  
He shakes his head again.  
I sigh and cross my arms.  
"Move." I repeat. "Please?"  
He shakes his head again.  
I run my hand through my hair, dropping it against my thigh.  
"Please?" I whisper.  
He shakes his head.  
I go to go into the living room but he grabs my wrist and jerks me back, pushing me against the fridge and kissing me wildly.  
I gasp in surprise, heat surging through my veins.  
I rest on hand in his hair and the other one using my fingertips, trailing them up and down his chest.  
We pull away for air and go right back to it.  
He starts to trail kisses down my jaw.  
My heart is pounding.  
If he doesn't stop...  
I step out of his way.  
"Stop." I whisper. "Your driving me crazy."  
His face falls.  
"In a good way." I add softly.  
His eyes darken even more.  
I press my lips to his one more time and then flip the stove back on.  
He sighs and pecks my cheek before walking off to the living room.  
I hear whispers in the living room.  
I hear my name and a gasp and then someone shushing someone loudly.  
And they think I can't hear them.  
"You guys are bad whisperers." I call.  
The house falls silent.  
"How much did you hear?"  
Peeta asks.  
Worry and nervousness is evident in his voice.  
I feel myself grow concerned.  
I flip the stove off and walk to the entrance of the living room, leaning again the wall.  
"I heard my name, then someone gasp and them someone shush someone." I say.  
"That's it?" Peeta asks. He's pale, scratching the back of his neck.  
He's really, really nervous.  
"Yes. What's wrong?" I ask.  
A nervous laugh escapes his lips.  
"Nothing." He's lying.  
"Your lying." I say.  
"No he's not." Jo says.  
"Yes he is." I say.  
"No he is not Kitty. Stop flipping shit and go make me some damn food." Finn says.  
Mom and Mrs. Mellark have large grins plastered on their faces.  
I huff and go back into the kitchen, turning the stove back on.  
I know what they're talking about is about me and I know Peeta's the one that brought it up. Why is he so nervous?  
Oh god he's breaking up with me. My stomach drops.  
Tears blur my vision and I shut the stove off.  
"Make your own food." I say as I brush past Annie, going into my room and locking the door behind me.  
I turn on my TV and turn it on low and go to my recordings and choose the first Pretty Little Liars I can find and slip under my covers, shimmying my jeans off and dropping them on the floor.  
I leave my shirt because it is soft and comfortable.  
I alternate from iFunny and Pretty Little Liars.  
Someone raddles the doorknob impatiently.  
"Open the door!" Finn shouts.  
"I'm not getting up." I call.  
"Open the damn door I'll fucking break it down!" He shouts.  
Why in gods name is he so mad?  
I sigh and get up, unlocking the door and going back into bed.  
I was gonna say "I'm moving anyways" but Peeta's gonna break up with me so I can't.  
Finn bursts into the room with Annie behind him and slams the door.  
"If your here to scream at me, you can leave." I say.  
He rolls his eyes.  
"What's wrong with you?" He bursts.  
"Would you care to tell me what I did?" I ask, shutting the TV off.  
"Uh broke Peeta's heart! Again!" Annie bursts.  
I stare at them.  
"Okay, what the fuck are you talking about?" I ask.  
"He just said 'shes gonna break up with me!' And then he said 'so I'm just gonna go!'. And then he grabbed his bag and left!" Finn shouts.  
I sit up.  
"He left?" I ask.  
"He's going home!" Annie shouts.  
I spring up and pull my jeans back on.  
"I was not going to break up with him! I thought he was going to break up with me!" I say. "Which is why I came in here crying!" I shout as I slip on my boots.  
"No. You came in here pissed. He thought you were mad about us whispering and then he thought you were gonna break up with him! He used Johanna's phone to call a taxi and now he's gone!" Annie says as I rush out of the room, buttoning my pants.  
I grab my keys off the table and leave without a word.  
I have tears flowing down my cheeks as I speed to the airport.  
I stop my car out front and run inside, locking it behind me.  
I can't believe this.  
"Flight to seattle, now boarding." A voice says over the intercom as I run up the stairs, not bothering with the elevator.  
I wipe my tears, people staring at me as I sprint past.  
I snatch his hand just before he walks down to the plane door.  
"Are you insane?" I burst.  
He whips around.  
He looks upset.  
He remains silent.  
"I'm not staying. Your going to break up with me." He says.  
"I am not!" I say loudly.  
Tears are flowing fast and heavy from my cheeks.  
"I am not." I whisper. "I wasn't mad when I went into my room. I was crying. I thought you were going to break up with me." I whisper.  
He stares at me.  
"You...are you serious?" He asks.  
I drop his hand.  
He shoves both his hands in his jeans pocket.  
"I'm dead serious." I say.  
He stares at me.  
"I was going to do the opposite of break up with you." He whispers.  
I'm confused now.  
"Come." He says, gently taking my elbow and pulling me away, out of the airport.  
He takes my keys and opens the door for me, the passenger.  
I look at him and them get in the car.  
He gets in the drivers and starts to drive.  
I don't know where we're going.  
I stay silent for a long time. I sigh when and hour passes.  
"Baby where are we going?" I ask.  
He takes my hand.  
"We're going somewhere in this state." He says.  
I stare at him.  
He doesn't have a jacket.  
I sigh and start fiddling with the radio.  
Unfaithful by Rihanna comes on.  
"I love this song." I mumble, resting my head against the window and shutting my eyes.  
I start to sing.__

_Story of my life__  
__Searching for the right__  
__But it keeps avoiding me__  
__Sorrow in my soul__  
__'Cause it seems that wrong__  
__Really loves my company___

_He's more than a man__  
__And this is more than love__  
__The reason that the sky is blue__  
__The clouds are rolling in__  
__Because I'm gone again__  
__And to him I just can't be true___

_And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful__  
__And it kills him inside__  
__To know that I am happy with some other guy__  
__I can see him dying___

_I don't wanna do this anymore__  
__I don't wanna be the reason why__  
__Every time I walk out the door__  
__I see him die a little more inside__  
__I don't wanna hurt him anymore__  
__I don't wanna take away his life__  
__I don't wanna be...__  
__A murderer___

_I feel it in the air__  
__As I'm doing my hair__  
__Preparing for another date__  
__A kiss upon my cheek__  
__As he reluctantly__  
__Asks if I'm gonna be out late__  
__I say I won't be long__  
__Just hanging with the girls__  
__A lie I didn't have to tell__  
__Because we both know__  
__Where I'm about to go__  
__And we know it very well___

_'Cause I know that he knows I'm unfaithful__  
__And it kills him inside__  
__To know that I am happy with some other guy__  
__I can see him dying___

_I don't wanna do this anymore__  
__I don't wanna be the reason why__  
__Every time I walk out the door__  
__I see him die a little more inside__  
__I don't wanna hurt him anymore__  
__I don't wanna take away his life__  
__I don't wanna be...__  
__A murderer___

_Our love, his trust__  
__I might as well take a gun and put it to his head__  
__Get it over with__  
__I don't wanna do this__  
__Anymore__  
__Whoa, oh.__  
__Anymore (anymore)___

_I don't wanna do this anymore__  
__I don't wanna be the reason why__  
__And every time I walk out the door__  
__I see him die a little more inside__  
__And I don't wanna hurt him anymore__  
__I don't wanna take away his life__  
__I don't wanna be...__  
__A murderer (a murderer)___

_No, no, no___

_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

The song changes to one I don't know.  
I lift my head and open my eyes.  
I furrow my eyebrows.  
"Manhattan?" I ask.  
He seeks out my hand.  
"Mmm hmm." He says.  
I stare at him.  
He starts to rub small circles on the back of my hand.  
I sigh happily at his touch and watch the city whirl past.  
He parks the car.  
Times Square.  
He gets out and I get out.  
I don't have my phone. I was in such a rush that I only managed to get the keys.  
He takes me hand and pulls me through the crowds.  
We look around, interested.  
It begins to snow.  
It's getting dark, the sky has a pink and orange tint across it.  
"It's your favorite color." I say.  
The buildings light up the sky.  
"It is." He says, nodding.  
He stops walking suddenly and turns to me.  
There's people walking around, holding hands with their children, making out in the sidelines, older couples, pregnant people, people alone.  
Peeta and I fit right in.  
He's in a tight long sleeve white shirt and black jeans.  
He's so hot. My god.  
He stares at me.  
He's nervous.  
I open my mouth to say something and he shakes his head.  
I close my mouth, silent.  
"Katniss." He begins.  
My heartbeat accelerates at the seriousness in his eyes. I remain silent.  
"Katniss Everdeen. I have loved you as long as I can remember. I didn't know it as a kid, but I know now. I love you. I always have. I will forever regret the day I let you walk away." I remain silent, tears filling my eyes as I realize what he's doing.  
He steps closer to me.  
I think some people around us are figuring it out, because they're stopping to watch.  
"I promise I will love you for the rest of my life." He lowers to one knee. "I will help you through the hard times. I will remain by your side for eternity." He says, opening a black velvet box he must have had in his pocket. "Katniss Everdeen, will you marry me?"  
A ton of people have stopped now.  
I stare at him.  
I start nodding like crazy.  
"Yes." I whisper. "Yes!"  
He slips the ring on my finger and stands up, twirling me around, our lips locked.  
People are cheering.  
I have tears of joy pouring down my cheeks.  
He sets me down, wiping my tears.  
I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him.  
He holds me tightly against his chest.  
"I love you." I whisper. He pulls away and kisses my cheek.  
"I love you too." He says.  
Guys shake Peeta's hands, patting him on the back.  
Random people hug us, congratulating us.  
It's freezing.  
A tiny shiver runs through my body and Peeta responds by taking my hand and pulling me to the car, driving once again.  
I'm so happy. I couldn't Reese's my smile if I tried.  
I look down at my left hand, which now holds a ring that I swear to myself right here and nod will never come off.  
It's the one I saw in Kentucky at that mall.  
He must have caught me staring at him.  
"You didn't actually go to the bathroom." I say, not wiping off the smile.  
He's smiling too.  
"No I didn't. I saw you looking and I told you I was going to the bathroom when you were in apple getting another life proof case and I went right to the store and got it." He says.  
My smile spreads.  
It's beautiful. It has a pearl in the middle and tiny diamonds all the way around it.  
"I love you." I whisper when we get to the apartment.  
"I love you too." He whispers. "Now, nobody upstairs knows. Lets wait till they notice to say anything." He says.  
I smile.  
"Perfect." I say, getting out of the car.  
He takes my left hand in his right and we walk upstairs.  
"Oh thank The Lord." Mom says when we walk in.  
Peeta sets my keys down on the table by the door.  
I see yet another official looking guy in the corner. Plutarch is with him.  
"The things get here early." He says.  
He hands me a ton of papers, boxes in the corner.  
"Thank you." I say.  
He pats my shoulder.  
"No problem."  
Him and the official guy leave.  
"So why we're you gone so long?" Prim asks.  
"We went out to eat." Peeta says.  
"And you didn't bring us anything?" Rye whines.  
"No." I say.  
Peeta and I laugh quietly to ourselves.  
"So what is it that got here early?" Mom asks.  
"Everything lost in the fire." I say.  
Peeta helps me grab the boxes if stuff.  
I set the biggest one on the coffee table and go to remove the tape when my mom shouts nonsense and springs up, grabbing my wrist.  
"What?" I ask.  
"I-you-" she starts saying gibberish.  
"Mom!" I say, ripping my wrist from her grip.  
My left wrist.  
I look at Peeta to see him suppressing a smile.  
"Mom chill the hell out!"  
Prim finally says.  
I stand up, crossing my arms.  
Peeta stands next to me.  
She looks like she's gonna pass out.  
"Lily what's wrong?" Mrs. Mellark asks.  
Everyone is staring to freak out. I snicker.  
"Katniss this isn't funny! She could be having a heart attack." Mrs. Mellark snaps.  
I laugh harder and pick up the cup of water on the table.  
Peeta grabs it.  
"Lets see how long she goes." He whispers, setting the cup down.  
I sigh and lean into him.  
"What the fuck is going on?" Jo finally bursts.  
Annie screams next.  
She than joins my mother.  
"What the fuck is wrong?" Jo shouts.  
I laugh hysterically.  
"Oh my god!" Mrs. Mellark then says.  
She joins them.  
I don't think I've laughed so hard in my entire life.  
Peeta is laughing too.  
"Would you stop laughing?" Mr. Mellark shouts at us.  
Mom runs off to the kitchen, crying.  
She comes back with a pad and pencil.  
'Look at Katniss!'  
The letters are so shaky.  
"I can't read it." Haymitch says.  
Finn takes the notepad.  
"It says look at Katniss." He says.  
Everyone looks at me.  
Jo's eyes bulge.  
She tackles me to the ground.  
"What the fuck?" I burst, thrashing around underneath her.  
Mom calms down, and Annie and Mrs. Mellark.  
She grabs my left hand, inspecting it.  
"Johanna get off." Haymitch says to his daughter.  
I wiggles my hand around.  
"Wait..." Finn walks over to me and takes my hand.  
He grins.  
"Join the club!"  
He high fives me.  
I grin.  
"I'm extremely confused." Mr. Mellark admits.  
"Johanna, could you get off my fiancé please?" Peeta asks.  
The room goes silent.  
She climbs off me and Peeta takes my left hand and helps me up.  
"Fiancé?" Prim asks.  
"Is this some sick joke again?" Mr. Mellark asks.  
I sigh and hold out my left hand.  
He takes off the ring and I narrow my eyes, glaring at him.  
Peeta takes it back and puts it back on me.  
Everyone starts cheering, hugging us, excited.  
It's nearly an hour before I get to sit down.  
"Shit!" I swear loudly, exahusted.  
"What?" Peeta asks.  
"What did we forget to do today?"  
I ask patiently.  
He looks confused.  
"Um...can I have a hint?" He asks.  
"We didn't pack." I say.  
"We can do it tomorrow." He says.  
"I guess your right..."  
I open the box with the shit that repleaces everything lost.  
This box is full of phones and two iPods.  
One is mine, that I know.  
"iPhone five?" I ask. I know for a fact that Peeta had a white one.  
I hand it to him.  
I give one to Prim and Mom and Annie. I think that's it with the iPhones, the rest are all the employees.  
I continue to pass stuff out.  
I slide Audrey her Barbie.  
I set my iPod on the floor next to me. It was in my office.  
It's black this time.  
I toss Lucas his.  
"Is that it?" I ask.  
Peeta places another box on the table and I open it. It's a huge box.  
It's one box that's a huge ass desk and another that's a chair.  
I furrow my eyebrows.  
I lift them out of the box.  
There's a not.  
Katniss,  
This is for your office when we get the new place set up in Seattle.  
-Plutarch  
I nod to myself and then throw the boxes across the room.  
I lay down on the floor with my ankles crossed, struggling to open the box with my iPod in it.  
I sigh and slam the box down on the floor.  
"Fucker." I say, irritated.  
Rye clears his throat.  
"What peices of furniture in this house have you had sex on?" He questions.  
I raise my eyes to his.  
"Why's it matter?" I ask.  
"Because we're getting your furniture." Justice says.  
"Um..." I think.  
We've had a lot of sex.  
"I think the counter in the kitchen...both couches...that chair. This table. Both beds and..." I'm missing one place. "The shower, I think." I look at Peeta who nods, his gaze down, face red.  
I smile.  
"This couch?" Mom asks, a disgusted look on his face.  
"Mmm hmm." I say. "And that one." I point at the one occupies by Jo, Finn and Ann.  
They all slide onto the floor.  
I shift so I can see where Finn is sitting.  
"Your not safe there."  
He gags and moves.  
"Not to mention the two beds in Peeta's house. The counter...the backyard-"  
"Okay, I think they get it." Peeta says, his eyes dark, dark blue.  
I snicker and go back to trying to open the iPod box.  
I lose my paitence and dig my nails in, ripping the box.  
I rest the iPod on my stomach with the charger and power it up.  
I sign into my iCloud.  
"I'm going to bed." Prim says.  
"Yeah so am I." Mom says.  
Everyone nods in agreement.  
I sigh and grab my phone and iPod and follow Peeta to my room.  
I strip to my bra and underwear and slide in next to him.  
I curl into his side and he kisses my forehead.  
I drift off.

They're ENGAGED!  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything  
-KatPeeta22 


	16. Chapter 16

**More drammmmmmaa**

I wake up what feels like ten minutes later.  
The house is dead silent.  
I glance at the clock next to my bed.  
It is ten minutes later.  
Something is bugging me but I can't remember what.  
Oh yeah. Packing.  
I know I'm not going to fall asleep again.  
I worm my way out of Peeta's arms and pull on his shirt.  
I silently fold all my clothes in the dark and put them in boxes.  
I put all my books in boxes and shut them, carrying them to the living room where the entire family is dead asleep.  
I pack all the movies in here, making sure to be silent.  
I don't have anything in the guest room to pack. The dresser is empty.  
I move to the kitchen and flip the light, dimming it to the lowest setting.  
It seems like it takes two seconds but it took two hours to get to the kitchen.  
It's three in the morning.  
I pack all the spices carefully in boxes, shut it and label it "spices" I carry it to the living room, exahusted.  
I'm not about to stop now.  
I put all the civil wear away and bag up all the groceries, leaving them in the fridge.  
I put all the cleaning supplies in another box and close it up.  
I add all the oven mits and close that up, shivering because the tile is cold on my bare legs.  
I'm only in Peeta's shirt and my bra and underwear.  
The shirt is see through since its white long sleeves. You can see my white bra.  
I move all the boxes to the living room and head to the bathroom, the last room.  
It's four in the morning now.  
If Peeta wakes up, he's gonna be mad I haven't slept.  
I don't care though.  
I start to put away the shampoos in boxes.  
I start towels and end up passing out on the tile floor from exhaustion.

Someone is gently shaking my shoulder.  
I stir and open my eyes.  
"What are you doing on the floor in the bathroom? Are you sick?" Peeta asks.  
He's kneeling next to me.  
"Is she okay?" Mom asks.  
He presses his hand to my forehead.  
"She doesn't have a fever." He says.  
It's cold.  
"Her lips are blue." Mrs. Mellark notes.  
It's just my mom and Peeta's mom and Peeta. Everyone else must be asleep.  
They have to be asleep. He's still only in his boxers.  
Peeta scoops me up off the floor.  
He carries me to my bedroom.  
He tucks me in and sits down next to me.  
"Baby what happened?" He asks.  
"I fell asleep." I mumble.  
"In the bathroom?" He asks.  
I nod slowly.  
"Yes." I mumble.  
"What we're you doing in the bathroom?" He asks gently, running his fingers through my hair.  
"Mmm" I moan. "Packing." I say.  
"Packing?" He repeats.  
Here we go  
"Yes."  
He sighs.  
"You were packing all night?" He asks.  
I yawn.  
"Please don't be mad at me." I whisper, sitting up.  
He sighs.  
"I'm not mad. I wish you didn't do it, but I'm not mad." He says.  
"I'm sorry." I whisper.  
He sighs.  
"Nice shirt." He says.  
I look down. Oh yeah.  
I smile a little.  
"Thanks. You too."  
He frowns.  
"I'm not wearing a shirt."  
I giggle.  
"Exactly." I say.  
He laughs.  
"Well..." He begins, moving closer to me. "You look adorable when..." He reaches for me, his hands at my side.  
"When what?" I whisper.  
"When your laughing." He says.  
He begins to tickle my sides and I burst into hysterical laughter, falling backwards onto the bed.  
He grins and continues to tickle me.  
I start crying from how hard I'm laughing, gasping.  
"P-please!" I gasp. "S-stop!"  
He stops tickling me.  
I'm gasping.  
I roll over and fall face first off the bed.  
A tiny laugh escapes his lips and then he starts laughing hysterically.  
I groan and press my hand to my temple  
"The room is spinning." I lie.  
His laughter cuts off.  
He gets up and scoops me into his arms.  
Someone knocks loudly on the door.  
"Just kidding." I say.  
I get out of his arms and pull on faded black jeans and a light pink long sleeve shirt, the same one as yesterday but a different color.  
Peeta pulls on jeans.  
The person knocks on the door again.  
I head out and rip it open.  
I don't get a chance to see who it is before i'm shoved against the wall, unfamiliar lips smashing against my own.  
Gasps fill the room and the shove the person off me.  
He was knocking loudly.  
He just woke up the entire house and them pushed me against the wall and kissed me.  
"I'm in love with you." The guy says.  
He has dark hair like mine and brown eyes.  
"I don't know you." I say.  
"But you can." He says.  
"I could but I won't." I say, crossing my arms.  
He kisses me again and I shove him again.  
"You love kissing me." He says. "Stop pushing me off." He growls.  
"I should be pushing you out." I snarl.  
"Why don't you want me?" He growls.  
"Because I'm engaged." I hiss.  
"No your not." He says.  
"Yes I am." I growl.  
"Lies!" He bursts.  
He kisses me again, tugging my shirt.  
He gets it halfway up when he's ripped off me.  
He was gonna rape me!  
Peeta shoves him out the door and locks it, not hurting him.  
I was going to be raped. Had it not been for Peeta, I'd have been raped.  
"Katniss." Peeta says, a pained expression on his face.  
"I didn't...I didn't mean it!" I say.  
"I know you didn't mean it." He says.  
Tears blur my vision but I blink them back.  
"I can't wait to get out of this fucking side of the country." I say angrily, storming off to the bathroom.  
I start shoving everything into boxes, adding the blankets from the bedrooms.  
I get everything but furniture.  
I move it to the living room.  
Everyone has hurt, pitying expressions on their faces.  
I struggle with the tape. It's clear boxing tape but its not attached to the plastic, which means I have to find it.  
I hurl the roll across the room and drop my head into my hands, fighting tears.  
Arms envelop me, sitting next to me.  
I can tell when it is from the cinnamon, sugar and dill wafting up my nose.  
I lean into him, my head on his chest.  
My tears drop onto his shirt.  
I'm not sobbing. The tears are silent.  
He rubs my back, tears dripping onto him.  
He pulls away, wiping the tears.  
"Lets get the hell out of this stupid side of the country." He whispers.  
A small laugh escapes my lips.  
"Thank you." I whisper.  
"For what?" He asks.  
"For being with me. I'm fucked up." I say.  
"You are not." He says, going across the room to retrieve the roll.  
"Yes I am. I cry more than Maddie does." I say.  
"Bull." He says. "The last time you cried before just now was last night." He says.  
"Exactly." I say.  
"That doesn't count. Those were good tears." He says.  
"Yeah and I cried the day before that." I say.  
"Because you found out your dad is an abusive alcoholic and he tried to kill both of us AND he went to jail and made you burn down the building." He says. "I think you had every right to cry."  
I huff.  
"And them I just cried again." I mutter.  
He sighs.  
"I hardly count that as crying. Katniss a guy just tried to rape you. I would have cried if a guy tried to rape me." He says. He's trying to cheer me up.  
"Thanks for reminding me." I grumble.  
He sighs loudly.  
He clenches his jaw and I know I' pissing him off.  
Great. Now I'm guilty.  
I feel so bad for being an asshole to him.  
I sigh.  
"I'm sorry." I say. "For being an ass."  
He looks up at me.  
"It's fine."  
He goes back to taping boxes.  
I begin to hum that song that was on in the car last night, unfaithful by Rohanna  
"What's the name of that song?" Prim asks.  
"Unfaithful." I say.  
"I fucking love that song!" She says.  
"How's it go again?" She asks.  
I continue to label boxes as I sigh.  
"Your just trying to get me to sing." I grumble.  
"No I love that song." She says.  
"Yeah so do I." Annie agrees with Prim, nodding.  
I sigh.  
I said I won't be long  
Just hanging with the girls  
A lie I didn't have to tell  
Because we both know  
Where I'm about to go  
And we know it very well  
"Yes that song is perfect." Annie says.  
Peeta has a disturbed look on his face. He looks a little upset, actually.  
"You okay?" I ask softly.  
He looks at me.  
"Fine." He says.  
Bull. His eyes are light blue.  
I stare at him knowingly.  
"I'm fine." He says, a slight edge of anger in his voice.  
"No your not. Your upset." Rye says.  
"I'm fucking fine!" Peeta bursts.  
I raise my eyebrows.  
"Sure sounds like it." I mumble.  
Peeta glares at me.  
I look up at him.  
What the hell just happened? One second he was perfectly fine and now he's pissed.  
I drop my gaze.  
His phone starts ringing.  
"Hello?" He asks.  
He listens silently.  
The look on his face makes me want to cry.  
He looks heartbroken.  
Tears start to stream down his cheeks.  
"Okay." He whispers.  
The person says something else.  
"I know." He says. "I'll be there." He says, swiping his hand across his cheek. His eyes flit to me. "But I'm bringing someone." He mumbles. More tears stream down his cheeks.  
Last time I saw him cry, we were kids.  
He hangs up and hurls his phone across the room and then gets up and walks into my room, slamming the door, making all of us jump.  
I get up and pick his phone up. The screen didn't break.  
It shows that it just hung up on someone named "Stephanie"  
That's his best friends sister.  
I frown and move his phone to the coffee table.  
I run a nervous hand thorough my hair and follow after him.  
"Go away." He says when he sees me.  
I completely ignore him and shut the door behind me.  
He's crying so hard that it makes me want to cry.  
I walk over to his side and kneel down next to the bed.  
"I can't do that." I whisper.  
He looks at me through his tears.  
I climb up next to him and hug him, rubbing his back as he cries into my shoulder.  
I run one hand through his hair while the other rubs his back.  
I don't ask questions, I just hold him.  
Eventually, around what I think is an hour, he pulls away.  
I gently brush my thumbs across his cheeks to wipe the tears.  
"I'm sorry." He whispers.  
"Don't apologize." I whisper.  
He takes a deep breath.  
"Jared is in the hospital." He whispers. He sucks in a breath.  
Jared is his best friend. Jared is like my Finn and Annie for Peeta.  
"He-" he pauses, trying not to cry. A tear slips down his cheek and I kiss it away. "He got into a fight with his girlfriend. Stephanie said he left and went for a drive. He didn't come home. He was on the highway and he was going too fast and he..." A sob escapes his throat.  
I take both his hands in my own and run circles.  
"He ran into a tree and fell through the windshield." He whispers. "He's in a coma. They don't think he's gonna wake up." I can't even imagine the pain he's feeling right now.  
The thought of losing Finn and Annie...  
"They don't know for sure that he won't wake up. He still could." I whisper.  
He sighs and doesn't comment.  
"I'm going to Paris. Today." He says. "And I need you to come with me."  
"Okay." I don't even think before responding.  
"Do you think you can bring your car and talk Finnick and Annie into flying us out there?" He asks.  
"Yes." I say.  
I never even got to meet him. Jared. The only people that are from Paris that I've met is his family.  
I kiss his forehead.  
"You can tell everyone. They're probably wondering anyways." He mumbles.  
I nod and walk out.  
"What happened?" Mrs. Mellark asks right away.  
I pause.  
"Finn, Annie, I need a huge favor." I say.  
They both look at me.  
"I need you to fly me and Peeta out to Paris. And my car. Today." I say.  
"Sure." Finn says.  
"What happened?" Mrs. Mellark repeats.  
"Jared got into a fight with his girlfriend and went for a drive. He ran into the tree when he was going too fast on the highway and flew through the windshield. He's in a coma and they don't think he's gonna wake up." I whisper.  
"Oh my god." Mr. Mellark mumbles.  
"I know." I whisper. I grab Peeta's phone and head back to the room.  
I hand it to him.  
"Finn and Annie said okay." I whisper.  
"If your going today, we have to go now!" Finn calls.  
Peeta pockets his phone.  
"Lets go."  
I have the basic stuff I need in a suitcase.  
I take his hand and pull him out of the bedroom.  
Everyone hugs us goodbye.  
"Make sure to call" Mrs. Mellark says.  
I nod, Peeta keeping his gaze on the floor.  
I get my suitcase and put my phone in my pocket.  
Peeta gets his suitcase.  
"Kitty you know what to do. All the employees know you." Finn says.  
I nod and head out.  
We throw our suitcases in the back and get in the front.  
I'm driving.  
I head to the airport.  
Peeta stays silent, his head on the window.  
I pull up, leaving the car out front.  
I grab all my stuff.  
Peeta gets his.  
I walk ahead of him.  
"Hey Mark." I say.  
"Hey Kat." He says. He's the attendant.  
I hand him my keys and walk right past, Peeta behind me.  
We walk right on the plane.  
It's a good twenty minutes before we even start moving.  
"Can I go to bed?" Peeta whispers.  
"Yeah right through there." I say, pointing at the doors that lead to the bedroom.  
He stares at me.  
"With you?" He asks.  
I nod and stand up.  
He follows me into the bedroom.  
We slide into the bed and he pulls me against him, tugging me so I'm directly on top of him.  
I rest my head in the crook of his neck.  
He inhales deeply.  
I drift off around one minute after he does.

I wake up to turbulence at the same time as Peeta.  
"We landed." I whisper.  
He sighs nervously.  
I get off him.  
He stands up.  
I gather our belongings just as the plane slows to a stop.  
The doors open and we walk off, my car in front of the door.  
We walk down the ladder.  
Mark hands me my keys.  
"Good luck." He pats my shoulder and gets back on the plane.  
It's not snowing.  
It's chilly but it's not that cold.  
I get into the drivers side.  
Peeta gets in the passenger.  
I start to drive, listening to his mumbles directions.  
All I know about Jared is he is 21. Him and Peeta are a day apart in age, Jared older by one day. I know he is dark brown hair and green eyes. I know they met when they were seven and have been best friends ever since. They are inseparable.  
I pull into a parking spot in the airport. It's probably nighttime at home.  
Peeta puts the car keys in his pocket, along with my wallet and his.  
I only have to carry my phone now.  
We get out and he locks the car.  
He's nervous.  
I trail behind him as he walks inside.  
Someone walks over to Peeta and hugs him. A girl with dark hair and blue eyes.  
This must be Stephanie; Jared's sister.  
I also know the the last time Peeta was any of them was a year ago when he moved out.  
Stephanie is probably sixteen. She's crying, of course.  
She pulls away, wiping her tears.  
She looks at me.  
"Stephanie this is my fiancé Katniss. Katniss this is Jared's sister, Stephanie." Peeta says.  
Stephanie hugs me and I hug her back.  
"I didn't know you were engaged." She says to Peeta after pulling away from me.  
"I wasn't until yesterday." He says.  
Stephanie nods.  
"Well...do you want to um...come see him?" She asks.  
Peeta seeks out my hand, nodding.  
We follow her through halls.  
She leads us past a ton of rooms, clearly having done this before.  
We come to a stop outside of a room marked "Jared B. Alexander"  
Stephanie stops.  
Peeta looks at me. I know he wants to go in alone.  
I release his hand.

PEETA'S POV

I slip inside Jared room.  
My heart shatters further. His face, hands and arms are cut up.  
I'm shocked he didn't break any bones.  
He rests peacefully, his breathing even.  
The beeps of his heart are steady.  
Beep  
Beep  
Beep  
I walk to his bedside, sitting next to him.  
There's nobody in here and I know nobody is gonna be in here. I also know that Katniss is right on the other side of the door and is ready to spring into action at any moment.  
"Jared you look like shit." I say, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. "Dude, you gotta wake up." I talk to him just like I would if he was conscious. "You have to man. If you don't, I don't know what I'll do with myself. Your like my bother. I need you. You know everything there is to know about me. Your my best friend. If you don't wake up, I don't know what I'll do." I say. I take a deep breath. "I know I'll be okay. I won't have a choice. Katniss won't let me do anything stupid. That's right, Katniss. We got back together bro. We're engaged. Yeah man, I popped the question." I know how happy he would be if he was awake. His heartbeat accelerates.  
The machines start to go crazy, his heartbeat turning into one long beep.  
A string of nurses come flooding in.  
"I'm sorry sir but you have to get out."  
She doesn't wait for me to reply before she shoves me out of the door.  
He's gone.

KATNISS'S POV

Oh my gosh.  
One second, I'm texting Mrs. Mellark to keep her updated, and the next, a ton of nurses come running down the hall and into Jared's room.  
I hear the machines beeping like crazy.  
Stephanie and I ton of people that I think are relatives begin to cry.  
Peeta is then shoved out of the door, it slammed in his face.  
I have tears of my own falling down my cheeks.  
His eyes are wide, his face completely pale.  
"I-I-" he stutters. "It's my fault." He turns to me. "I killed Jared."  
He's hallucinating.  
"You didn't." I say.  
"I did." He says.  
He starts crying.  
I hug him, him crying into my shoulder.  
I run my hand through his hair with the other one rubbing his back.  
"I-I-I did!" He sobs.  
"You didn't." I repeat, tears pouring down my cheeks.  
"You did not." I whisper.  
The machines silence behind the door.  
Peeta tenses and pulls away.  
I wipe his tears.  
He's trying not to cry.  
A nurse comes out.  
Peeta whips around, the group of people that were crying come rushing forwards.  
"He's not dead." Is the first thing she says.  
Peeta grabs my hand for support. I squeeze his gently to show him I'm here.  
"The reason his heart monitor went crazy is because the clip fell of his finger." She says. "When he moved his hand."  
Everyone nods thoughtfully.  
My moms a nurse.  
"How did he move his hand? He's in a coma. You can't move in a coma. Your brain is at its lowest ability of alertness. There's no way you can move in a coma." I say.  
The nurse snaps her fingers.  
"Correct." She says.  
"Wait...you can move your hand if..." I trail off. "He's awake." I say.  
"Correct again." She grins.  
"He's awake?" Stephanie asks.  
"Yes. When this man right here was talking to him, whatever he said must have made him want to wake up. He broke through the coma and was struggling to open his eyes when the moved his hand and knocked the heart monitor clip off his finger-"  
"Causing the machine to think his heart stopped because it couldn't feel the pulse in his finger, which set off the alarm because it thought he was dead." I cut in.  
"How do you know that?" The nurse asks through fully  
"My moms a nurse. I've picked up a few things." I say.  
She nods.  
"Yes. Well Jared is asking to speak to someone named Peeta. He said that if he doesn't see Peeta first he will get up and come and find him." She says.  
Peeta steps forward, releasing my hand.  
"Go right in." She says.  
Peeta gives me a nervous glance. I nod reassuringly and he opens the door and then shuts it behind him.  
"Who are you?" A lady that looks like Jared asks. Probably his mother.  
"Mama, this is Katniss Everdeen. She's Peeta's fiance." Stephanie says.  
"Hi." I say shyly.  
I shake hands with all of them.  
My phone starts vibrating in my pocket.  
I pull it out. "Mrs. Mellark"  
"Hello?" I ask.  
"Katniss what in the world is going on. One second your typing and the next, you stop and are silent for ten minutes!" She says.  
"Well..." I sigh. "He kind of um...well he moved his hand and the heart monitor fell off and the machines went berserk and we all though he was dead." I say.  
"You can't move your hand in a coma." Mom speaks up.  
"That's what I said. And then the nurse said that he woke up and wanted to talk to Peeta."  
I continue to explain everything.  
"No. I'm not going to go-"  
I'm walking down the hall.  
Someone grabs my hand and I turn around. It's Peeta.  
"Got to go." I hang up.  
"He wants to meet you." He says.  
"Doesn't he want to see his family?" I ask.  
"No. He wants to meet you. I told him you'd say that and he said that he would come get you if you didn't come in one minute. He is just like you. He will do it." Peeta warns.  
"Alone?" I ask.  
He ignores me and pulls me over to the door, walking inside with me behind him.  
I shut the door and he releases my hand.  
Jared looks me up and down.  
His green eyes light up his face. There's freckles all over his face. His lips are full. His nose fits his face perfectly. He has wavy dark hair.  
"You weren't kidding when you said she was hot, dude." He says.  
He doesn't sound sick.  
"I'm Katniss." I say.  
"I know." He says. "Jared." He adds.  
I nod.  
"Peeta's told me all about you." I say.  
His face lights up and he smiles evilly, eying Peeta.  
"What'd he say?" He asks with an evil smirk.  
Grin. I like him already.  
"Good things, I hope." He adds.  
"Well...he said you hate peanut butter and jelly. He said that you can't stand peppers and onions. He said your favorite color is pink, even though you would never admit it. He said your favorite celebrity is pink. And that you would bang her." He grins.  
"I like her." He says to Peeta. "And I wouldn't bang pink. I would bang...Megan Fox."  
I snicker.  
"What about you? Who would you bang? Aside from Peeta?" He asks.  
I laugh.  
"Like celebrity?" I ask.  
"Yes." He says.  
"Well..." I think. "There's tons of hot guys...but I'm gonna have to say Chris Pine."  
"Chris Pine." He says. "What's he look like again.  
I pull out my phone and google Chris Pine.  
I get a picture of him shirtless and show him to Jared.  
"Gross." He says.  
"No way. You mean sex god." I say.  
"Hey!" Peeta says.  
Both Jared and I start laughing.  
"Well...one of the sex gods." I say.  
"So your saying Peeta's good in bed." Jared says, waggling his eyebrows at me.  
I laugh.  
"He is." I say.  
"Which means you've been in bed with him." He says.  
"Yup." I say.  
"You know he already knows we've been in bed." Peeta says.  
"I figured."  
"You know your family wants to see you, right?" Peeta asks carefully.  
Jared sighs.  
"Do you two live together?" He asks.  
"Technically. I'm moving in with him." I say.  
He lets out a slow breath.  
"Katniss do you think I can talk to Peeta?" Jared asks.  
"Yeah, sure." I say.  
I slip out the door.  
Peeta stocks his head out the door literally a second later.  
"He changed his mind."  
I go back into the room.  
Peeta shuts the door.  
"Does she know?"  
Jared asks Peeta.  
He shakes his head.  
"Okay. When I was nine...my dad, he's gay. He tried to touch me. He did, actually. I hate my entire family except for Stephanie but sh lives with her boyfriend. The nurse says I can't live alone anymore and I hate Lexa and I need a place..." Jared trails off.  
Peeta and I instantaneously start having a private conversation.  
He wants Jared to move in with us.  
I shrug and nod, agreeing.  
He arches his eyebrows slightly, asking if I'm sure. I nod again.  
"When do you get out of here?" Peeta asks.  
"Good question. I could go now. I feel great." He says.  
I walk to his bedside and see he's not on pain meds.  
"You in pain?" I ask.  
He shakes his head.  
"Damn." I say.  
"Fine out when you leave." Peeta says.  
He presses a button on his bedside and a minute later, a nurse comes in.  
"When can I get the hell outta here?" Jared asks.  
"How do you feel?" The nurse asks.  
"I feel fine and I wanna get the hell outta here." Jared presses.  
"You can leave when you get a place to stay and I speak with who you'll be living with." The nurse says.  
"He's living with us." I say, slipping my hands into my back pockets.  
The nurse turns to me.  
"You look like your sixteen. Your not old enough." She says.  
"I'm twenty." I say, trying not to snap.  
"I need your identification." She says.  
"I'm not from this country." I say.  
"I still need your identification." She says.  
Peeta pulls my wallet from his pocket and hands it to me.  
I hand her my license.  
"Americans." She mutters under her breath. "Think they're on top of the world."  
I roll my eyes.  
"You could at least try to be discrete about it." I say, causing Jared to snicker.  
"Well I can't go by this anyways, since your not from here." She says.  
Peeta hands her a card.  
"He can live with you." She says. "I'm sorry you can't be with your boyfriend." The lady asks, shooting me a scowl.  
"He's not my boyfriend." I say. She's talking about Jared.  
She looks me up and down.  
"Slut." She mutters, brushing past me and our the door.  
"What a prick!" I say, lifting my voice a bit when I say prick so I can make sure she hears me.  
I'm honestly pissed.  
"But seriously, your moving with with us." Peeta says.  
My phone beeps.  
Finn: everything okay?  
Me: yeah it's all good. What time is it back home?  
Finn: eight thirty  
Me: ok  
She nurse walks in, shoving me, making me fall down, my catching myself before I crack my head open.  
Peeta rushes over to me, helping me up.  
"I'm going to make sure to report you for being an ass." Jared says.  
"Sorry." The nurse says.  
She broke my fucking life proof case.  
Peeta puts his hands on my shoulders.  
"Your family wants to come in." The nurse says as she starts disconnecting Jared from machines.  
"I don't want them in here." Jared says. "Peeta get Steph."  
Peeta sticks his head out of the girl and says something.  
Steph comes in.  
"The bitch broke my eighty dollar phone case." I burst as Peeta shuts the door.  
"That's disrespectful." The nurse says. "Your language, I mean."  
I want to punch her in the face.  
"Don't talk to her that way." Peeta says.  
"Why? You don't love her. You love me." She says, unhooking the last machine.  
Oh I'm so ready to slap her.  
"No. I hate you actually. Your an asshole." Peeta replies. I raise my eyebrows. Wow. I didn't think Peeta was capable of being rude to people.  
The nurse rolls her eyes.  
"Okay Jared, you are going to be in a lot of pain when you walk. Your going to have to get some help. Don't stay on your feet for too long." She says. "And do you have other clothes?" She adds, eying him. "Because your gonna be half naked in this." She says, eying his hospital gown.  
"No I don't..." He sighs.  
"I have clothes." Peeta says. "Your my size." He adds.  
Peeta looks at me.  
"You have the keys." I say.  
"Right."  
He gets the keys from his pocket, kissing my cheek on the way out the door.  
The nurse fiddles with the machines for a bit.  
Stephanie and Jared are having a quite conversation.  
I remember something and pull out my phone to text Thresh.  
Me: did I ever give you guys the shit you lost in the fire?  
Thresh: no...  
I sigh quietly and text Finn.  
Me: can you do me a favor?  
Finn: what is it?  
Me: I need you to give all the employees their phones. I don't know when I'll be home...  
Finn: ok. Where should I take them?  
Me: Peeta's bakery  
Finn: where is it?  
Me: next to Starbucks. The one you work at  
Finn: really? It's right there?  
Me: mmm hmm  
Finn: ok kitty  
"So Katniss..." Jared begins.  
I look up to see Stephanie is gone.  
"You seem like one of those really religious girls with the perfect family and is completely goodie two shoes." He says.  
I snort.  
"My family is far from perfect, I've never been to church and I'm not goodie two shoes." I say.  
"What's your family issue? If you don't mind me asking." He asks, adding the last part quickly.  
I look at the nurse, who is smirking evilly. I shake my head at Jared and nod at the nurse.  
He nods.  
Peeta's been gone for five or so minutes now.  
"Your all set, when your dressed, just leave." She says.  
She then walks out, shoving me again.  
I fall, again.  
I sigh and get up, wiping my palms off on my jeans.  
I pick my phone up and put it in my pocket.  
"So...she's gone." He says.  
"Lets just say my dad is an abusive alcoholic and I didn't know. He's been hurting me little sister and my mom. He came into my store and demanded I break up with Peeta. I told him no and he stole my car keys. I called the cops and then he had a gun. I took out my bow and arrow and he was gonna kill me and then Peeta. When he looked away I shot an arrow an inch above his head and he went to the ground. The gun set of and shot a light which made a chain reaction." I pause. "Anyways, the entire building burnt down and almost killed Peeta's cousin Audrey but I went back in and got her."  
"Audrey? Are you fucking kidding me? That girl is the sweetest thing!" Jared says.  
"Yeah I know." I say.  
"So all my assumptions are false. Your a badass with a fucked up family."  
I laugh. I like him.  
He laughs too. "We could be twins." He says.  
We fall silence. Another ten minutes pass and Peeta is still not back.  
"Where the fuck is he? It's been twenty minutes!" Jared says.  
"I'll go find him." I say.  
I turn around and walk out.  
I go out the way I came in, freezing dead in my tracks when I see Peeta kissing some random chick.  
Wait, no. The random chick is kissing Peeta. Peeta shoves her off.  
"What the fuck Marissa!" He bursts.  
I back up so he has less of a chance he can see me.  
"I am engaged!" Peeta adds, pissed.  
"So? She doesn't know. Just have sex with me, please Peeta I want you." She whines, running her hands up and down his chest.  
I stand there, my eyebrows slightly raised. Other than that, my face is expressionless.  
"No," Peeta says. He pushes her hands away.  
"Why? She doesn't have to know." She whines, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.  
She kisses him again and he pushes her away, gently, I can tell because if he wanted to, he could push her down. "Peeta come on! You want me. I can tell. Your eyes are black." She says.  
"Actually that's the look he gets when he's extremely pissed off." I say as I start to walk forward.  
"How would you know." The girl snarls.  
"Because I'm his fiancé. I know everything there is to know about him." I say.  
"Katniss-" Peeta begins, his eyes going light. He's probably scared shitless that I'm gonna leave him.  
"Light blue means he hates you." The girl snarls.  
"No. Light blue is sadness. He's freaking out that I'm gonna leave him, which is stupid. I know that a white kissed him and then he pushed you off." I snarl at the girl. "Normal blue is normal." I gently kiss Peeta for a moment.  
I pull away with his eyes dark blue.  
"Dark blue, like they are now, is want. And black is anger so intense that its actually quite scary." I say.  
The girl looks defeated.  
"Prove it. That black is anger." She says. "If you can prove it, I'll leave."  
I turn to Peeta and smack his arm.  
I has to get him angry enough for him to forget that this was an act.  
"Why the fuck would you let some bitch kiss you!" I say angrily.  
"I didn't!" He says.  
"You did too! I just watched you make out with this piece of plastic!" His eyes start to go dark. God he is so easy.  
"No I didn't!" He says.  
"Yeah you did! I watched you! What the fuck!" I say.  
His eyes go completely black.  
"Now go away." I snap at the girl.  
She looks at Peeta and then turns around and leaves.  
Peeta glares at me and then turns around and stomps off.  
I follow him, dodging nurses.  
Jared looks concerned when we get there.  
"Kat you gotta get out so I can get dressed." Jared says.  
I sigh and walk out, shutting the door.  
I wait with my arms crossed, pissed.  
I was trying to get that girl away and he damn well knew it! And nows he's pissed at me? I clench my jaw and grind my teeth.  
I keep my gaze set on the floor.  
The door opens and Peeta comes out, helping Jared walk.  
He hands me the keys.  
Jared has a look of pain on his face but he says nothing.  
I turn around and walk to the car, Peeta and Jared behind me, far behind me.  
I unlock the car and open the back door.  
"No way!" Jared says. "You have a wrangler! This is my dream car!" He says.  
I look at him.  
"Can you take the top down! Please!" He begs.  
I sigh. It's the one with a soft top, not the hard.  
I open the truck and climb in, starting to disconnect it while Peeta gets Jared in the car.  
I fold it nicely and put it under the suitcase in the back.  
I stand up all the way in the back and look around the car to make sure nothing's lose. I jump off the side of the car and shut the trunk and get in the front.  
"Where are we going?" I ask.  
"Well we obviously can't go home today...so...lets go to the bakery." Peeta says.  
"Um...okay." I start the car.  
"Go left." Peeta says.  
I check my surroundings and back out.  
He's still pissed, that I can tell.  
"What if I get pulled over? What do they do in this country?" I ask.  
"Um..." Peeta sighs. "Let me drive."  
I pull over and unbuckle, standing up.  
Peeta and I switch seats.  
I put my hands on the bars and drop back into my seat, putting my belt on.  
Peeta's still pissed at me. I didn't mean to upset him.  
"So we just saw Marissa..." Peeta says.  
Jared sits up.  
"What'd she want?" Jared asks.  
Marissa must be Jared's girlfriend.  
"She wanted sex." Peeta says quietly.  
"Sex? Sex from who?" He asks, shocked.  
I see Peeta's hands tighten on the steering wheel.  
"Me." He says. "And she kissed me. Twice."  
The car falls silent.  
I rest my head against the window, drawing patters on my jeans with my fingers.  
"And how'd that go." Jared asks.  
I remain silent.  
"I pushed her off both times and then her and Katniss started arguing...and then Marissa said she had to piss me off in order for her to leave. And she did it." Jared sighs.  
"And now your treating her like shit." Jared says. "Because she was trying to get a crazy lunatic away from you. That's real low Peeta, real low."  
Peeta sighs but says nothing.  
I pull out my phone and text Annie.  
Me: I think Peeta hates me  
Annie: why  
Me: it's a really long story. This girl that was Jared's girlfriend kissed Peeta and wanted sex and Peeta told her no and the girl said the only way she would leave was if I made Peeta mad. I did it and now he won't talk to me.  
Annie: why did you do it? Why didn't you just walk away?  
Me: because I don't think  
Annie: kat this is Peeta we're talking about here. I don't think this is gonna last long. Just tell him your sorry and then give him time  
Me: but Jared is with us  
Annie: wait till you take him home  
Me: idk if I'm supposed to tell anyone so don't tell anybody, but he's not going home...he's moving in with us  
My phone starts ringing and I quickly press ignore, thinking its Annie.  
I then curse loudly and call back.  
"Plutarch." He says when he picks up.  
"I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else!" I say.  
"Katniss." He says. "Well I was calling to tell you that the store is ready. All the stock is in boxes. We could only find three employees fit for the job, so your gonna have to do theresr on your own." He says.  
"I thought it wasn't gonna be ready till next week." I say, nervousness etched in my voice.  
"Well that was the latest. This isn't a problem, is it Miss Everdeen. Your capable of being there by tomorrow morning, right?" He asks.  
I feel my palms start to sweat.  
"If not, I'm afraid you may have to get all your own employees." He says.  
I sit back, running my hand across my face.  
"What time tomorrow?" I ask.  
"Seven in the morning." He says.  
I drop my hand into my hands.  
"There's no way. I'm not even in the country." I whisper.  
"Well then, and I'm sorry to say this, but your going to have to get your own employees." He says.  
"I'll figure something out." I say, trying not to cry from the overwhelming stress I'm in right now.  
"Alright." The line goes dead.  
Whatever.

**Okay I'm skipping way ahead, like months ahead.**** I'm gonna do something I did in youre mine and I don't think all of you are gonna like it but idgaf****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter is gonna get crazy.**

It's May seventh. My birthday is tomorrow.  
Jared is completely back to normal. We live in Washington. I have employees, the store is popular life is good. The family is down. Rye, Graham and Justice live in an apartment and they all work for me. Finn and Annie live in a house and Finn actually works for me.  
The store is closed right now.  
Jared works for me too. We're all best friends.  
Then there's Megan, Aly and AJ, who are twin sisters. That's all the workers.  
There's people all around. This store is so popular.  
Peeta and I haven't gotten into one fight.  
It's nighttime. Peeta is refusin to let me sleep.  
They want to take me out at midnight and get me drunk since its my 21st birthday.  
Jared is going too. And Johanna, Finn, Annie, Rye and Graham. And Justice, much to Cinna and Portia's protests. He's eighteen so he can come, he just can't drink.  
"I really don't want to." I whine.  
"You don't have to get drunk." Peeta says.  
I'm getting dressed. They even bought me a dress. Well Jared, Finn, Peeta, Rye, Graham and Justice bought me a dress.  
It's complete gold sequins and its skintight and shows my curves and it goes to about ten inches below my hip, which sound long but is actually extremely short.  
I sigh and turn away from Peeta, stepping into my shoes. My hair is curled.  
He's wearing a simple shirt and jeans.  
The entire family is here. They're here to see us off.  
I hear a sharp intake of breath.  
"Hot damn." Peeta says, breathless.  
I slowly turn around.  
His eyes are locked on me, trailing up and down my body.  
"I feel like a slut." I whine.  
"I-" he cuts off, his eyes black with lust instead of anger. "Lets go downstairs."  
He shoves my phone and his phone in his pocket and then adds both our wallets.  
His eyes are so black.  
I sigh. I have on a tiny bit of makeup, much to my displeasure. He places his hand on my low back and guides me downstairs.  
"Damn!" Rye says, his glass slipping from his hand and shattering.  
The room falls silent.  
I stop moving, standing perfectly still.  
Tomorrow we're all going to Finn and Annie's for a pool party. It's May so the weather is warm enough.  
Everyone stares at me.  
"If Peeta wasn't around, like he was out of town and we got her drunk...I won't lie when I say I would probably take advantage of this." Rye says seriously, shoving his hands in his pockets. Even his eyes are dark.  
Actually, Rye, Graham, Justice, Kegan, Jared, Ethan AND Finn's eyes are all dark.  
The girls painted my nails and toes gold. My shoes are all gold rhinestones. It's fake gold of course. Nobody can afford real these says.  
Peeta looks angry.  
"Your serious?" He asks.  
Rye doesn't look like he's kidding.  
Peeta looks angry.  
"Well I personally feel like a slut." I say. They're all dressed up.  
Peeta is too, but I feel so overdressed that he looks casual.  
"Has anyone else besides Peeta ever had sex with you?" Annie asks.  
"No." I say automatically.  
"And have you ever dated anyone besides Peeta?" She presses.  
"No." I say again.  
"The only person you've had sex with is Peeta. And your engaged. I'd say that's the farthest from a slut you can get without being a virgin."  
"I agree." Jared says.  
Every nods.  
All at once, the house fills with loud noise.  
Everyone with phones set alarms to go off at midnight so they could say happy birthday. They've made it a competition of who's gonna say it first.  
They call scream it at once at the same time.  
I laugh loudly at how pissed they look.  
"It was a tie! I knew that was gonna happen!" I say.  
"Fine! Whoever kisses Katniss first wins." Rye says, stepping closer to me.  
Peeta snickers and kisses me.  
"I win." He says. "That was stupid. Katniss would have probably slapped you if you got close enough to her."  
I've been fighting telling Peeta. There's nothing I want more. I destroyed his birthday and I want him to destroy mine.  
"So. What do you want today more than anything?" Ethan asks.  
I'm gonna say it.  
"I want Peeta to be rough and angry with me." I say, lowering my gaze to the floor.  
Everyone is quite for a second.  
"What?" Mom asks.  
"What did you say?" Jo asks.  
"I said that I want Peeta to be rough and angry with me." I say, slightly louder.  
"What?" Peeta says, outraged. "Why?"  
"Because I was a dick to you and I want my payback." I say. "I destroyed your birthday and I want you to destroy mine. I want you to be rough and angry with me, just like I was."  
"That's ridiculous." Jared says.  
"That is the stupidest thing I think I have ever heard come out of your mouth." Haymitch says.  
"Honestly. Have you lost your mind?" Finn asks.  
"No. She's just kidding." Annie says.  
"No I'm not." I say.  
"Well I'm not gonna do it." Peeta says. "I don't even think I'm capable of intentionally upsetting you and making you cry. That just kills me to think about."  
"Fine then I'm not going." I say.  
"Katniss stop being so stupid. Are you thinking right now?" Mom says.  
I clench my jaw.  
"That's what I want." I say.  
"No it's not. It's what you think you want. And I won't do it. I'd rather let you leave." Peeta says.  
"You shouldn't have said that." Jo says, kicking off her heels.  
"Then I will go." I say.  
"I didn't mean for you to actually do it." Peeta says.  
"Well I did." I say, angry.  
I go to head for the door.  
"Do it." Jared says to Peeta. "Be rough with her."  
Something flashes in his eyes.  
I don't want this. What am I thinking. Peeta's strong. When he yells, it scares the shit out of me. He could kill someone with his bare hands. But I deserve it.  
"No." Peeta says.  
Jared makes a gesture with his hands at Peeta and his eyes go dark.  
I'm terrified. Have I lost my mind?  
"Upstairs." Peeta says to me.  
"Don't hurt her." Mrs. Mellark says.  
Peeta rolls his eyes.  
"I won't." He growls.  
He turns to me.  
"Go or I'll make you go." He says.  
I slowly step forward and then head upstairs.  
He follows me, slamming our bedroom door.  
I'm honestly terrified. Like, terrified.  
"What are you gonna do to me?" I whisper.  
He stares at me, his eyes black with what I think is anger.

PEETA'S POV

She's lost her mind. She wants me to hurt her. She wants me to be rough.  
So I will.  
But in not the way she thinks. She's extremely terrified and the look on her face breaks my heart.  
I turn around and lock the door.  
She's so scared.  
But I'm not gonna hurt her.  
I'm gonna do what Jared suggested.  
I'm gonna be rough with her.  
During sex.

KATNISS'S POV

I could serious cry. I'm that scared.  
He shoves me backwards onto the bed.  
I stare up at him, horrified.  
He shocks me by climbing on all fours above me and kissing me, roughly.  
Oh. The good rough.  
Good thing this apartment has all soundproof.

...

There's feathers all over the bed from a pillow. My bra is hanging on the doorknob of the closet, clothes scattered all over the room.  
It's morning. Everyone is staying at a hotel, they were just there last night.  
I think it's only Jared now.  
Peeta's awake, staring at me.  
"Am I off the hook?" He asks, his voice angry, rough.  
"Definitely." I say.  
He sighs.  
"I hate being so rough with you." He whispers. "And the look on your face last night broke my heart."  
He kisses me gently.  
I glance at the clock. Eleven. The party start in an hour.  
"I changed my mind right before we came up here. But I deserve it." I say.  
"You do not." He whispers.  
The only thing on my body is the engagement ring, that will never leave my finger. The only thing on Peeta is skin.  
"Please tell me I don't have any hickies." I beg.  
He thinks for a moment.  
"Stand up." He says.  
I slowly stand up, butt naked.  
"Turn." He says, his voice soft.  
I turn around slowly.  
"Your good." He says.  
I sigh, relived.  
I walk off to the bathroom, which is in our room.  
I take a quick shower and get out, wrapping myself in a towel, brush my teeth and then walking into our room.  
Peeta brushes past me, naked, kissing my cheek on the way.  
He shuts the door and I hear the shower start.  
I pull on a bra and underwear and get a pair of short, short ehite shorts and a blood red half shirt that says "too hot to handle" in sparkly silver letters. It's goes to my ribs.  
I really should put a shirt under it but I honestly don't care.  
I brush my hair, still slightly curly.  
I slip on my sandals, adjusting the straps. I shove my phone in my pocket, which I dig out of Peeta's jeans.  
I grab my white sunglasses off the dresser and place them on my head and then look around, giggling softly at the mess and then unlock the door and slip out.  
I go downstairs, Jared lounging on the couch, watching TV, in swim shorts and a muscle shirt.  
He looks at me.  
"So was he rough?" He asks.  
"Yes." I say. He's one of those people that you can talk about sex with and not be u comfortable.  
"I don't believe this house is soundproof." He says.  
I snigger.  
"Oh it is." I say.  
"You look nice." He comments.  
I roll my eyes.  
Peeta comes downstairs in white swim trunks and a blue and green striped muscle shirt.  
It's twelve forty five.  
"We're gonna be late."  
Finn lives far enough away that if we leave right this minute we'll get to their house right at one.  
I jog upstairs and grab my keys and my bathing suit.  
I jog back down and grab my keys.  
"Lets go."  
Both boys get up.  
I run over to the garage and jump over the door. The top is off. I never really put it on.  
Jared gets in the back and Peeta gets in the front.  
I lower my sunglasses over my eyes and head to Finn's.

We get there at exactly one. Tons of people were looking at me, shocked as we drove pass. I'm used to it. Everyone seems to be doing that now.  
I park and we get out.  
I walk right inside, everyone in the living room.  
"Well don't you look cute." Mom says.  
"Was he rough?" Rye asks.  
"Yes." I say shortly.  
I set my keys on the bar.  
"Well lets go in the pool!"  
It seems everyone is in their suits except me.  
The guys pull their shirts off and throw them around and run outside.  
I watch by the door as Jared shoves rye in the pool.  
Literally all the guys are out there. The little kids and the adults.  
The girls take off their clothes, revealing their bathing suits.  
They head out.  
I grab my suit and go into the bathroom.  
It's the top is like a bra but the straps go around my neck. It's a push up, kind of. The bottoms are simple.  
I change quickly and then go back into the living room.  
I pick up Peeta's shirt and fold it nicely and fold my clothes and set our clothes in a stack.  
I put my sunglasses with them.  
I slip silently out onto the patio and set my phone down, the volume all the way up.  
I look up just in time to see Peeta win the battle of getting the last person into the pool.  
"I win!" There's nobody left.  
His back is to me.  
I step out into the sunlight.  
Everyone looks at me for a moment.  
"Aren't you forgetting the most important person?" Jared asks.  
Peeta's silent. "Who?" He asks.  
I raise my eyebrows, silently standing behind him.  
"The most important person." Jo presses.  
"Who!" Peeta presses.  
"Your fiancé." I say before shoving him into the pool.  
He comes up, gasping.  
"You bitch!" He says. I know he's playing. "I'm gonna kill you!"  
"Oh really." I say.  
I start to back up.  
He climbs out of the water.  
"Yes. Really." I grin.  
His eyes trail up and down my body.  
He reaches for me and I jump back and then spring around him, running to the other side of the pool.  
He looks challenged.  
I place my hands on my hips.  
"I can't believe you forgot about me." I say, faking hurt.  
"I know. I'm sorry." He says.  
Everyone watches intently.  
"Are you really." I say sarcastically.  
"Yes." He says.  
My phone starts ringing on the patio behind him.  
He knows its my phone because its my ringtone.  
I got another life proof case.  
Eh. What the hell. If I don't do something, I'm gonna be there all day.  
I run to one side of the pool, wait till he's close enough to grab my and them sprint around the other side, grabbing my phone off the table.  
He knows damn well I have a life proof case.  
He stands in front of me.  
I smile sweetly at him.  
He grabs me and throws me over his shoulder, dropping me into the pool with my phone in my hand.  
I shoot down to the bottom and kick off, coming up.  
"Peeta you broke my phone!" I say, lying.  
"What? I'm so sorry. I'll buy you a new one." He says, bending down in front of me.  
I grab his hand and tug, ducking under water as he falls into the po, his foot shooting past where my head just was.  
"I hate you." He says.  
I laugh and kiss his cheek.  
"No you don't. You love me." I say, throwing my phone to the patio.  
"Lets play a game." Jared says.  
"What game?" I ask, trailing my finger down Peeta's chest to drive him crazy.  
Jared grins.  
"Marco polo." He grins.  
"Yes!" I say.  
Peeta and I played this when we were little. I remember I got so competitive that I actually punched him in the face on accident because I though nobody was there. He swore from that day on he would never play that game with me again.  
"Yes lets play!" Prim says. Everyone mutters their agreements.  
"No way." Peeta says. Clearly he remembers. "I will play this with anyone but Katniss."  
"Come on! It was eleven years ago today!" It was on my fifth birthday.  
"No way. I'm not playing." He shakes his head.  
The adults, Rye and Graham roll their eyes.  
"Please!" I say, forcing myself to cry.  
He stares at me.  
"Please?" I ask, my voice soft and velvety, my hands on his chest. I stare at him with a fake sad expression. "Peeta please. For me?"  
He stares at me.  
"Fine!" He says.  
"Yes!" I say, pecking his lips.  
"Who starts?" I ask.  
There's a ton of people in this pool and I'm glad this is a huge pool. There's forty something.  
"Well Jared came up with it." Jo says.  
"Jared's it." I say.  
"What! No!" He says.  
I laugh.  
"Did you say last night that the birthday girl should get, and I quite, 'whatever the hell she wants, even if its to go sky diving.'?" I ask smartly.  
He sighs.  
"And I'm the birthday girl. And I want you to be it." I say.  
"Fine." He says.  
He goes to the middle of the pool and goes underwater, counting to ten on his fingers.  
"I'm the target. How much you wanna bet." I say. Too bad I'm  
Incredibly good at this game. You can't get out of the pool. I get out and keep one finger in. Technically part of you is still in the pool.  
I get out and stand on the edge, keeping my foot in.  
He comes up.  
"Marco." He says.  
Everyone says polo but me.  
"Marco." He repeats.  
"Polo." Everyone says but me. This is how I prove I'm the target. He's moving towards where I just was.  
I move around the pool.  
"MARCO!" He shouts.  
"POLO!" Everyone but me shouts back.  
"I don't hear you Katniss." He says.  
"Polo." I say, right in front if him before diving over his head and shooting into the low end.  
I come up to hear everyone laughing.  
"I'm telling you she was safe! Her finger was in the water!" Peeta says.  
Jared's eyes are open.  
"I'm telling you I touched her." He says.  
I shrug.  
"I'll be it then." I say.  
"Oh god." Peeta says.  
Lets see...who do I want to target.  
"She's plotting." Peet says when everyone grows confused.  
I think I'm gonna get him.  
"No tag backs. There's enough people." Haymitch says. I get my skill in this game from him.  
"Lets change the rules. Whoever Katniss gets she has to kiss on the cheek." Rye says.  
"No." Peeta says.  
"Oh come on! It's just the cheek!" Mrs. Mellark says. "Just let her do it."  
"Fine." He growls.  
Now I'm not getting him. Because he wants me to. I think I'm gonna get Prim, just to piss her off.  
Since he wants me to, he's gonna let me.  
Then again, Rye, Graham, Justice and Kegan are likely to purposely get in the way.  
The reason I'm so good at this is because I have my hunters senses.  
Actually, I'm gonna get whoever I get.  
"I don't think Peeta, Rye, Graham, Justice or Kegan should play in this round." I say.  
"Why?" Jo demands.  
Wait. I'm getting Finn. He's amazing at this game. He's probably the hardest to get. So I'm gonna get him.  
"Never mind."  
"Shit. She's got her target." Peeta says.  
I suck under water and count off ten on my fingers. I don't cheat. I play fair.  
I come up.  
"Marco."  
"Polo." Everyone replies. He's to my left. I don't move.  
"Marco." I say.  
"Polo." Everyone replies.  
"Fish out of water?" I ask.  
"No." Everyone says.  
"You guys better watch your faces." Peeta says.  
"Marco." I say.  
"Polo."  
Rye is standing less than an inch in front of me.  
"Rye back the fuck up." I say.  
"How did you know?" He says. "She's cheating."  
"No she's not. She's got eyes all over her body. She knows where someone is. She knows all there moves." Peeta says. "So if your wanted by her, your gonna get tagged." Peeta says. He's litter sly less than an inch from my left.  
"Peeta, back up." I say.  
"Told you." He moves, backwards, I can tell.  
"Marco." I say carefully.  
"Polo." Everyone says. But Finn.  
I might as well let him know.  
"Marco." I repeat.  
I'm in the deep end. I feel the water shift underneath me.  
He's down there.  
"Marco?" I ask quickly.  
"I know who she's going for." Peeta says after everyone says polo but Finn.  
I dive down underwater, my hand colliding with his leg.  
We both shoot up.  
"Fuck!" He says. "Dammit!"  
I laugh and kiss his cheek.  
"I'll be right back." I say, getting out of the pool.  
I grab a towel and dry my legs.  
"Where are you going?" Peeta asks.  
"I'll be back." I say again.  
I walk into the house and grab Annie's docking station out of the living room.  
I go back to the patio and plug it into the wall, putting my phone in it.  
I start music.  
"Hey go get beers." Haymitch says.  
"Oh yeah we have to make Kat have her first drink!" Jo says.  
Everyone immediately gets out of the pool.  
The song playing is try, by P!nk.  
Mom goes inside and Finn and they come back with a cooler.  
"Katniss has to drink an entire beer before we have any drinks, agreed?" Jo asks.  
I am really uncomfortable with the thought of drinking. I'm terrified I'll become addicted and then turn out like my dad. I explained all of this to Peeta.  
Everyone agrees.  
Peeta kisses my cheek.  
"I won't let it happen." He whispers in my ear.  
Haymitch opens a beer and thrusts it in my hand.  
I stare at it.  
"Well!" Jo says.  
I sniff it, wrinkling my nose.  
"It smells like metal." I say.  
"Just try it." Finn says.  
Everyone watches intently as I take a sip of it, gagging and spitting it on the ground.  
"That's fucking gross!" I burst.  
I hand it to Peeta. "You can have it!" I say.  
"No! You have to finish it!" Jo says.  
"I'm going to throw up if I finish it. That's disgusting." I say.  
"Too bad." Jared says.  
I look at Peeta. He looks sorry for me.  
Jared takes it from Peeta and hands it to me.  
I take another sip and force it down. It burns on the way.  
I try to hold it down.  
"I can't. I really don't want it." I say.  
"Just finish it!" Annie says.  
"No I really don't want to."  
"Come on!" Jo says.  
"She doesn't want it." Peeta says quietly.  
"So what!" Prim says.  
"So she doesn't want it. She doesn't have to have it." He says calmly, his voice soft.  
"Then lets have her try this." Jo pops the top off a glass bottle and takes the beer from me, handing me something white.  
I red the bottle and it says something about strawberries.  
I take a tiny sip.  
"I don't like it." I say. I could seriously cry. My head is screaming "alcoholic" at me.  
Sober, by p!nk comes on. Most of the songs on my phone are by p!nk.  
"Katniss just finish it." They're losing their patience.  
I feel forced. I don't like being forced into doing anything. My father is a great example. Me refusing to break up with Peeta.  
I'm an adult. I will make my own decisions.  
"Drink the damn thing." Rye says.  
"No." I say.  
"Why!" Graham says angrily. "We just want to see what kind of drunk you are!"  
"She doesn't want it." Peeta says, taking the drink from me and dropping it into the garbage can.  
Finn opens his mouth to say something when Johanna's phone pings loudly from an email.  
She snatches it off the table.  
She taps the screen a few times and then her eyes bug.  
"Oh my god." She gasps.  
"What's wrong?" Cinna asks.  
Her skin is pale.  
"We may have a slight problem." She whispers. "Someone hold her down." She says, nodding at me.  
"Why?" I demand when Peeta wraps his arms around me from behind.  
"I just got an email from YouTube." She says.  
"Yeah! So?" I say.  
"Oh dear god." Peeta whispers.  
"And it says 'congratulations! Your YouTube video has become the number one most watched!'." She says.  
"And what does this have to do with me?" I ask.  
"Katniss, remember a few months ago, right after everything with your dad, you were singing that song and Johanna videoed you? And she put it on YouTube." Peeta whispers.  
Everyone is staring at me intently.  
"Give me the phone." I say.  
She doesn't even argue.  
I got to YouTube and pull up the video, pausing it.  
"Oh my god." I say.  
"What?" Ethan demands.  
"3,187,499" I say.  
"Oh god." Jo says.  
The number bumps up to 3,187,501.  
I go to the comments.  
"Read some of the comments." Haymitch demands.  
I sigh loudly and click on the comments.  
"Wow she's really good" I scroll "she's hot too" I say "she looks familiar. Isn't she the chick that was on the news because if her fucked up dad?" "Yeah! I think she is!"  
I've already had enough.  
"This is horrible." I groan.  
Thunder cracks loudly and then it starts to rain.  
We all head inside.  
"I'm going to change."  
I grab my clothes and head to the bathroom.  
I quickly change and then hang my suit up and go into the living room.  
"Lets see when this is gonna end." Mom suggests. I lean against Peeta as she flips on the TV.  
She goes to ABC action news.  
It's not the weather. It's playing the video.  
I groan.  
"Fuck me." I whine, turning into Peeta's chest.  
He wraps his arms around me.  
The video ends.  
"Where is Katniss Everdeen?" One lady asks.  
"I don't know Alyssa, but I will say this. Whoever finds her and brings her to our studio will get a three thousand dollar award."  
I whip around.  
"This is bullshit!" I shout, flipping the TV off.  
Peeta rubs my back.  
"Hey," he whispers.  
I turn to face him.  
"Just because they want you there, doesn't mean you have to go. You don't have to do anything." He says.  
I sigh.  
"I love you." I whisper, kissing his lips gently.  
"I love you too." He brushes his hand across my cheek.  
I turn around and head for the front door.  
"Where are you going?" Prim asks.  
"To get my phone charger." I say, pausing to grab my phone.  
I get the car keys too.  
I slip out of the house and unlock the car.  
I get my charger out of the center console.  
I shut the door and turn around to go back into the house when there is someone standing not a foot from me.  
She laughs evilly and throws something over my head, causing the keys and the charger to fall from my hands, along with the car keys, which press a button, causing the panic to go off.  
I feel myself being shoved and then I'm in a car.  
The door slams and then another one, the panic on my car now at full blast.  
The car start to move, panic flooding through my veins.  
I feel the bag ripped off my head and I look around, panicked.  
"You do as I say and I won't hurt you."

**OH GOSH.****  
****Okay. Katniss is going to be crying A LOT so if you get all pissy about it, I'm probably gonna freak out.****  
****Review because I wanna see what you think****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm probably gonna skip a lot.**

This is a girl. She's in a blue shirt. Her eyes a wide and creepy, her grin is evil, her hair is reddish brown.  
My heart races. I remember I have my phone in my hand and I quickly tuck it under my leg, putting it on silent.  
I'm terrified.  
"Your not going back there. Your moving in with me. I'm not telling you where we're going. You will get one meal a day and you will sing when I tell you to. Each order ignored will be a burn upon your skin." She says. "You will never see your beloved fiancé again. Your friends. Sister. Family. You will never see anyone again but me. You will never have sex with anyone but me. You will never kiss anyone but me." She says.  
Tears fill my eyes. I've been kidnapped. I'm never gonna see them again.  
And this girl is my age. She's lesbian. She wants me.  
And I'm completely and 100% straight.  
But I'm not gonna give her the satisfaction of letting her see me cry. I won't show weakness. I will stay strong.  
"Where are we going?" I ask strongly.  
"I can't tell you, baby."  
She takes my hand and I clench my jaw, fighting the urge to throw up.  
"Your gonna fall in love with me." She says.  
My stomach churns.  
I remain silent, my jaw clenched.  
"I have been watching you since you moved out of your parents house when you were eighteen. I know everything about you. I know what gets you mad. I know what presses your buttons. I know what makes you cry. I know your weakness." She says. "I'm in love with you."  
I don't reply.  
I turn my gaze to the window, Jaw clenched.  
She doesn't release my hand.  
We drive in silence for an hour, my free hand in a tight fist on my side.  
The creepy girl pulls into a gas station.  
"I'm getting gas. Stay here."  
She drops my hand and gets out, slamming the door.  
I pull out my phone and quickly text Peeta.  
I have eighty something missed calls.  
Me: help  
He's gonna panic. I quickly add;  
Me: I've been kidnapped  
I shove my phone back under my leg.  
The girl comes to my side of the car and snatches my phone from under my leg.  
She throws it and it gets ran over by a semi.  
Fuck me.  
She slaps me and then punches me in the face.  
"Don't do that." She growls, slamming my door.  
At least he knows.  
She goes back to getting gas.  
I'm never gonna see them again.  
I stare at the remains of my phone.  
I could escape right now.  
But then she gets back in the car, grabbing my hand and clutching it, painfully tight.

...

A week soars past. I get one meal a day and I'm starving. We're still driving.  
She never lets go of my fucking hand.  
"You know you never told me your name." I say, acting casual.  
"I'm Sara Ascot." She says.  
Perfect. Creepy Sara. That's what I'm gonna call her.  
I'm so scared. Terrified. I never feel safe anymore.  
She stops the car in an alley and my stomach falls through my body.  
"Out of the car."  
I have only gotten out of the car to go to the bathroom.  
She makes me wear a mask and pink wig.  
She has a bag of clothes for me, that she stole from my fucking house.  
God I miss Peeta. My heart aches.  
They're looking for me. I just know it.  
I haven't shed one tear.  
I get out of the car, my heart racing.  
She gets out with the wig and mask.  
I really want to go home. I want to hug Peeta. I want to shower and argue with the family. I want to sleep in Peeta's arms, safe from anything and everything.  
I just want to go home.  
She hands the wig and mask to me and I put them on, struggling not to cry.  
She takes my hand and we start to walk, leaving the car in an alley.  
We walk down the street, and for the first time, I realize where we are. We're in New York City.  
A ton of people give me weird looks.  
Sara has an evil little smirk on her face.  
I could cry when I see Thresh pass me with his wife and baby.  
I want to cry out.  
"That girl looks like Katniss." He notes when he passes.  
I clench my jaw.  
Sara tightens her grip on my hand.  
She walks into a house and pulls me downstairs into the basement.  
"Sit." She says, pointing to a plastic chair, which is in a closet.  
This must be her house.  
I slowly walk forward and sit in the chair. There's a pole directly behind it.  
I sit down and she ties my hands back behind the pole.  
"This is where your gonna stay forever. I will hand feed you." She explains.  
My heart races.  
Forever?  
She walks off for a moment and comes back with a needle.  
"What is that?" I ask, frantic.  
She doesn't say anything. She insterts it into my arm.  
I scream and thrash around.  
She presses the button and fire shoots through my veins.  
I think happy thoughts.  
Peeta. His hair. His smile. His laugh. His voice. His lips on mine.  
I continue to think of Peeta. The way he's playful. His laugh. His blue eyes that make me melt.  
I struggle to remain conscious.  
As fast as the pain came, it disappears.  
My pupils are dilating violently.  
She pulls the needle out and shuts the closet door.  
I give in and allow myself to cry.  
What happened?  
Why me?  
I've been kidnapped. Taken. She just did something to me.  
An I gonna die?  
I cry, silent, refusing to let her know how much she's affecting me.  
I want Peeta. Oh my god unwanted Peeta with me right now. I'm desperate for Peeta.  
I force myself to stop crying.  
The girl comes back with a spoon in her hand that is the color of fire. It's glowing.  
It's burned.  
"This is gonna hurt."  
I panic.  
She grabs my arm she put the needle in and presses the spoon to it, right over the spot she put the needle in.  
The pain is blindling.  
I can't even scream before I pass out.

...

I wake up, thinking, hoping, praying it was all just one sick, disturbing nightmare.  
But it wasn't.  
I can't move my arm.  
It's pitch black. I can't see.  
I blink multiple times.  
"You've been out for three days." Sara says.  
Shocker.  
"Here." She starts to shove food in my mouth.  
I force it down, even though I want to die.  
I hate her I hate her I hate her.  
"Lets watch TV."  
She flicks on the news.  
It's my face.  
"Katniss Everdeen is missing. If anyone has seen this girl, please call so we can keep tabs on her and get her home to her fiancé."  
My fiancé. Peeta. Oh Peeta. Tears fill my eyes.  
"Oh don't cry. Your not going home. It's okay. Your don't have to go to that terrible place." She says.  
Seriously?  
She inserts the needle into my arm, in the exact same spot that's burned.  
I scream.  
She presses the button again and I think of Peeta.  
His laugh. His hair. His smiles. His soft skin. His lips.  
She pulls the needle out but the pain remains.  
She gets up and sticks the spoon into the fire again.  
She comes back and presses it to my arm again.  
I pass out again.

...

I wake up, my limbs stiff.  
I'm dying. I can tell. I'm weak and thirsty and hungry.  
"It's been six days since you passed out the second time." The girl explains.  
You can only go around a week without eating or drinking  
Sara starts to feed me healthy food, salad. She pours water down my throat.  
I'm confused  
It's been...we were in the car for a week. And then I was passed out for three days. So that's a eek and three days. Add six...two full weeks and three days.  
The girl inserts three needles into my arm and presses.  
The pain is blinding.  
I think of Peeta once again. His laugh. His lips. His smile.  
She pulls them out and then continues the routine by pressing the spoon to my arm.  
I pass out.

...

I wake up to loud bangs and shouts.  
"Katniss!" Someone shouts.  
I hear Sara screaming.  
"KATNISS EVERDEEN?" Someone screams.  
I can't speak. I'm weak. So, so weak.  
I'm so skinny. My skin is pale and ghostly.  
I'm having breathing issues.  
Someone rips the closet open.  
"I found her!" It's a guy. He's in an INF vest.  
The words are blurry and I don't think that's really what it says.  
The person reaches behind me and untied my hand.  
I can't walk.  
"Oh man! I need a parametric!" He guy shouts as he picks me up.  
I cry and cry and cry.  
My legs are around his waist with my head on his shoulder.  
I want Peeta. My Peeta. My baby. I want Peeta.  
The man carries me up the stairs, my arm dripping something white and sticky.  
I hear screaming of someone but I don't know who it is.  
"Oh my god!" Someone shouts.  
"Everyone back! Get back!" A man shouts.  
I can put a name to that voice. That's Plutarch. I would know that voice. He saved me.  
I think the screaming is me, actually.  
The man carrying me doesn't say anything.  
I'm positive the screaming is me.  
A needle is injected to my good arm and everything goes black.

******That was intense. Very intense.****  
****REVIEW****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22****  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Here**

I wake up, at ease.  
I slowly open my eyes.  
I'm in a white room with machines, an annoying beep filling the room.  
The door opens and Plutarch walks in.  
I sit up, wincing.  
"Can you talk?" He asks.  
I don't know.  
"I want to go home." I whisper, tears filling my eyes.  
"I know." He says.  
He sighs.  
"Your in the hospital." He says. "All we know is you have a third degree burn on your arm. And that the girl injected your arm with a poison called tracker jacker venom." He says. "And whoever you were thinking of when she did it...well you fell in love with them." He says.  
I remain silent.  
Who was I thinking of?  
I can't remember.  
"I'm gonna ask you some questions." He says. "Answer them honestly with the first thing that comes into your mind." I nod.  
"What do you think of the girl? Sara Ascot?" He asks.  
"I hate her." I snarl.  
He writes something.  
"Good. And what do you think of Rye Mellark?" He asks.  
"I miss him." I say.  
He writes something.  
"And what about Graham?"  
"I miss him too. I miss all my family." I say.  
"And what about Finnick Odair? Your best friend?" He asks.  
"I want to see him. I miss him like crazy." I say.  
"If you saw Finnick again, what do you think you'd do?" He asks.  
"Hug him and kiss his cheek." In a sisterly way.  
His eyes widen slightly and he writes something.  
"And um...and Peeta?" He says.  
Tears spill down my cheeks.  
"I would give anything to see him again. To let him know I love him. That I miss him." I say, twirling the engagement ring around my finger.  
"Do you love him as a friend or as a lover?" He asks.  
I look up at him.  
"That's a really stupid question." I say.  
"Yes but I need an answer." He says.  
"Well then as a lover." I whisper.  
He nods and shuts his pad.  
"When can I go home? Am I staying her forever?" I ask, thrashing around.  
"No, no. You can go home in four months unless you show improvement quicker." He says.  
"But I want to see Peeta! I want to see my family!" Shriek.  
I can't wait four months.  
"I'm sorry. We can't tell anyone we've found you. This is confidential. We can't even tell your family." He says.  
"But you can at least let them know that I've been spotted and I'm alive, right?" I beg, hysterical.  
"I'm sorry." He walks out.

...

For what feels like forever, I lay around, doing nothing except crying and begging Plutarch to let me go home.  
The door opens and my nurse, Allison, slips in.  
"Hey Katniss." She says.  
She doesn't note anything about me crying.  
I'm terrified of needles. I don't like to be touched by anyone. I will not look at a spoon.  
Yes. I'm scared of a spoon.  
"I have some news." She says.  
I pretend to be interested.  
"Your going home!" She says.  
I've showered every day and eaten all three meals. My arm had to have skin sewed back on and it's completely healed.  
The only think making me crazy is not seeing Peeta.  
They let me outside to exercise, but that's it.  
"Really?" I ask, getting off the bed.  
"Yes. We've washed your clothing and your going home in it. Plutarch has arranged to have you taken on a private flight." She says. "He's taking you all the way home, explaining everything so you don't have to and then leaving." She says.  
She sets my clothes on my bed. My bra and underwear, my red "too hot to handle" shirt and my white shorts.  
I strip naked and pull them on.  
She's seen me naked tons of times. Almost as much as Peeta has.  
Peeta! I'm gonna see Peeta!  
I slip on my sanales and brush my hair, which is longer.  
"Okay. Plutarch is waiting on the plane. I'm supposed to take you there."  
I freak out when people touch me, especially if they're female.  
I follow Allison outside to a car.  
We get in.  
"Your taking one of those plane that are super fast, so you'll be there in about an hour. Your family doesn't know your coming, let alone alive." She says.  
She sighs.  
"And they're probably my going to touch you." She says.  
She touches my hand and I don't flip.  
Only with strangers.  
The car pulls up to the airport and Allison leads me around the back.  
She walks up to a plane and a man opens the door.  
"I'll be visiting. I have to. To make sure you're alright." She says.  
"Okay."  
I walk up the stairs onto the plane.  
I hate this outfit.  
Plutarch is sitting, reading a newspaper.  
The plane door shuts and I sit down across from him.  
He folds his newspaper and sets it down.  
"Are you excited?" He asks.  
"Yes." I say.  
"What are you most excited for?" He asks.  
"I just really want to see Peeta!" I say.  
"Katniss, do you know who you fell in love with when you got the venom?" He asks.  
"No." I say. I've been wondering this.  
"You fell in love with Peeta. You love him more than you ever have." He says. "If you ever lose him, you'll end up killing yourself." He says.  
"I fell in love with Peeta?" I ask.  
"Yes. Sara was trying to get you to fall in I've with her, but you were thinking of Peeta."  
I remember.  
"It hurt so bad. I thought of happy thoughts." I say.  
"Like what?" He asks. He's getting me talking to distract me.  
Peeta, Jared and I live a block away from the airport so we'll get there two minutes after we get off.  
"His eyes. His laugh. His smile. His lips. How soft his skin is. Everything. All the things about him."  
Plutarch nods, smiling.  
We slip into silence.  
"Katniss?" He asks.  
I look at him.  
He tosses me something and I catch it.  
We played catch to distract me to strengthen my bad arm and bring the feel back into it. It feel like nothing happened now, I just have a nasty scar and I couldn't be more great full that this shirt overs it.  
It's my phone, with the exact same case.  
"We replaced it and set up your phone company. We even got the case."  
I stare at it.  
"And everything is synced to it." He adds.  
I light it up. I have three hundred messages.  
I unlock it and go right to Peeta's.  
I don't have service up in the sky so I can't answer him.  
He said one thing and that was it.  
Baby: is this some kind of sick joke?  
That's it. He didn't believe me.  
Everyone else are frantic. I don't have calls though.  
"Katniss I'd siggest you sleep." Plutarch says.  
I am tired.  
I lay down and drift off.

...

I wake up to my shoulder being shaken.  
I look around, my heart racing when I realize where we are.  
In front of the house.  
Plutarch probably had his assistant carry me to the car.  
Plutarch looks at me.  
I have tears rolling down my cheeks, my emotions whacked.  
It's September.  
"What's the date?" I whisper  
"September 11th." He says.  
(Ha Laura)  
"Today is Prim's birthday." I whisper.  
All the cars are here. Finn and Annie's. Jared's.  
Peeta's.  
I get out of the car and walk to the door.  
Plutarch squeezes my should reassuringly.  
I slowly turn the knob and walk inside.  
They're all there.  
The hurt in their eyes is unmistakable.  
Peeta's the worst.  
My heart is racing and my palms are sweating.  
They left everything that's mine the exact same.  
The smell is overwhelming.  
Sugar and Cinnamon and Dill.  
Prim screams and something glass shatters.  
The room goes dead silent.  
Plutarch steps in behind me, shutting the door.  
My vision goes blurry for a second and I blink multiple times.  
"Hi." I say weakly.  
Do they not want me here?  
Prim's eighteen today.  
"Happy birthday..." I say to Prim, who's crying silently. "I'm not intruding..." That's exactly what it feels like. Like I'm intruding.  
"No!" Peeta says. "Your not intruding!"  
I let out a nervous laugh.  
"Are you sure...I can come back-"  
"Katniss!" Prim says, jumping up.  
Plutarch quickly moves in front of me.  
"Don't." He says.  
"I'm okay." I say.  
He looks back at me and then sighs and steps aside.  
They're frozen again.  
I really REALLY want Peeta to hug me.  
It am more in love with him then I home we have been. Thanks to Sara. Her bitch plan backfired.  
Plutarch knows me very well. He knows that I really want Peeta when I start twirling the ring, which is what I am doing.  
"Can we not touch her?" Peeta asks.  
"Enough. What the fuck happened?" Haymitch says.  
A tear slips from my cheeks.  
"Obviously I was taken." I say.  
"Let me cut it short." Plutarch cuts in. "Some girl named Sara Ascot took Katniss and locked her in a basement. She injected position into her arm and then pressed a spoon, that was on fire, onto her arm." He says.  
I try not to sob.  
"Poison?" Peeta asks, standing up.  
"But...your girl here...she's very intelligent." Plutarch says. "Because the poison makes you fall in love with the person your thinking of. And she thought happy thoughts." Plutarch says.  
"So she fell in love with being happy?" Jo asks.  
Annie is crying silently, leaning into Finn.  
I laugh a little bit.  
"Peeta was in every single one of the happy thoughts." Pkutarch says. "Which means she fell even more in love with you. Just being in the same room with you drives her crazy and all she wants you to do right now is hug her."  
"Wait. You said three weeks. It's been four months. Almost five. What the fuck do you mean." Mom says.  
Mom doesn't curse.  
"She's um...been in a type of rehab for four months."  
"So your telling me she's been safe for four months, and you didn't bother to tell us?" Mom says, shouting.  
"That's what I said. He just said its confidential." I say  
"You couldn't at least lie and say that she'd been spotted?" Peeta says.  
"I said that too." I fill in.  
"I'm sorry." Plutarch says.  
"What happened to the girl?" Annie whispers.  
"She deserves the death sentence." Peeta says.  
"I agree. But she's in jail for life." Plutarch says. "And I'm warning you all now, she's extremely vulnerable. She doesn't like it when people touch her unless she loves and trusts them. She, and don't make fun of her, is terrified or spoons and she hates needles." Plutarch says. "And we're almost positive that she's physically incapable of getting into a fight with you." He adds at Peeta. "And...we're 100% certain that if she ever lost you, she would commit sucide."  
He pats my shoulder and walks out the door.  
"So what, we can't touch you?" Peeta asks.  
"There's only one way to find out." I say.  
Peeta walks over to me and hugs me.  
I hug him back, tightly, tears rolling down my cheeks.  
Nobody says anything.  
I don't release him.  
I feel warm, and for the first time in almost five months, I feel safe.  
He slowly draws back, gently kissing my cheek.  
I smell like hospital and its driving me crazy.  
"What does your arm look like?" Mom asks.  
I pull away from Peeta all the way.  
"It's ugly." I say.  
"It's okay." She says gently.  
I lift my sleeve, revealing the nasty car, the size of a prefect oval.  
Tears fill her eyes but she says nothing.  
I rock back and forth on my heels.  
They all look careful.  
And it's annoying.  
"You guys know I'm not going to flip shit if you talk to me? I'm still Katniss." I say.  
"Good." Rye lets out a breath.  
"Can we please stop acting like I just died and came back?" I say.  
I really want to change and shower but I don't want to leave Peeta's side.  
"Katniss no offense but to us, you did die and come back." Mrs. Mellark says.  
"Now maybe Peeta will stop acting like a zombie." Jared says.  
I look at him, confused.  
"He thinks we don't notice, but he acts perfectly fine, but at random times, we'll say he has to go to the bathroom and then he'll lock himself on his-your room and cry." Jared says.  
I think my heart just shattered.  
Peeta sighs loudly.  
"So! I think we've all cried once a week!" He says.  
"But you do it three times a day." Finn interjects. "At least."  
"So what!" Peeta bursts. He's angry.  
I slowly move away from him, acting fine but actually terrified.  
I use this method with Sara, because then they think your not scared and they won't hurt you.  
I see Annie watching me closely as Finn, Peeta and Jared shout at one another.  
"Stop!" She finally shouts. "Katniss is scared shitless!" She adds angrily.  
I feel like such a baby.  
Peeta looks at me.  
"I'm sorry." He says.  
"It's okay." I say quickly, worried I'm gonna lose him.  
Damn track hacker venom.  
Finn walks over to me and hugs me.  
I tense for a moment and then hug him back.  
"Glad to have you back Kitty." He says.  
I nod.  
"Is there anything you need at all? Food? To take a shower? To sleep? Change clothes?" Peeta asks. "A new car?"  
I laugh a little. God I love him.  
"I want to take a shower and burn these clothes." I say.  
He takes my hand and takes me upstairs.  
The bedroom is exact same. The only difference is a picture on Peeta's nightstand of me and him. I'm on his back in jeans and my winter boots and a blue knit sweater. I don't think I have anything under it but a bra.  
Oh yeah. That was at my old apartment.  
I smile a little.  
I dig through my drawer and get white jeans and a blue tank top, a black bra and matching underwear.  
"I'll be downstairs..."  
I grab his hand to stop him, desperate.  
"Please don't. Please stay with me." I whisper.  
He steps closer to me.  
"I'm not going anywhere."  
I sigh and walk into the bathroom.  
He hesitates in the door.  
I'm gross and all my hair is super long.  
"I uh...don't look the same..."  
He leans against the doorframe.  
"I'll close my eyes."  
I smile and start the water.  
"So how much do you love me, exactly?" He asks.  
"Wait till dark and count all the starts in the sky. Then multiply that by Infiniti and there's your answer." I say.  
He smiles and shuts his eyes.  
I strip down and throw my clothes in the hamper.  
I step into the water.  
"Okay, you can open your eyes." I say.  
I have gotten to take a shower every day, but I wasn't allowed to shave because they thought I was gonna cut.  
I shave everything, occasionally calling Peeta's name to make sure he's still there.  
I wash my hair, the room filling with the scent of coconut.  
I can hear Peeta sigh.  
I wash my body and then shut off the water.  
I grab a towel and wrap it around myself and them pull back the curtain and step out.  
"Katniss." Peeta says.  
"Hmm?" I ask softly.  
"I was thinking..." He grabs my hand. "It's probably gonna be real hard for you here...right?" He asks.  
Yes. Especially at Finn and Annie's.  
I could have a flashback.  
I turn and shut the door.  
"There's something that Plutarch didn't tell you." I whisper, backing up and dropping my towel to get dressed.  
His eyes darken and he keeps them locked on mine until I'm completely dressed.  
"And what's that?" He asks, watching me as I force my brush through my hair, wincing.  
He gets up.  
"Can I?" He whispers.  
I nod and hand him my brush.  
He begins to brush through all the tangles gently.  
"So what did Plutarch forget to tell me?" He asks when he's done brushing.  
"That I have flashbacks and really bad nightmares." I say.  
"Flashbacks?" He asks.  
"My mind shoots back into time to times with Sara and I go a bit crazy...but it's become less frequent..." I say.  
"Well I'm gonna help you through everything." He says.  
Did I mention that the house is atrocious?  
There's clothes all over the floor, drinks in random spots.  
And my OCD makes it worse.  
"Why did you ask if it was gonna be hard for me?" I whisper.  
"Well...maybe we could...move to  
Indiana earlier?" He asks.  
I stare at him.  
"Why do you still want me, Peeta?" I ask, shoving past him and out into our room.  
"What did I do?" He asks.  
"You should hate me! You heavenly or heard of me in four months and I come back completely messed up and you still want me!" I say.  
"I won't even not want you. I love you." He says.  
"I love you too." It came out harsh but those words leaving his lips are like a trigger for me and practically force me to say them back. "It just doesn't feel right." I say.  
The doorbell rings downstairs.  
"Well it should feel right." He says. "Because it is right."  
With that, he takes my hand and pulls me downstairs.  
The doorbell rings again, insistent.  
"Lazys." I mutter, walking to the door and pulling it open.  
I scream and dart behind Peeta, burying my head in his back.  
Sara.  
How?  
"What's wrong?" Peeta asks.  
She's got the needle. I'm shuddering.  
"She's here!" I choke out.  
"Who's here?" He asks, turning to face me.  
"Sara's here!" I shriek.  
I feel myself zap back in time to the basement.  
She inserts the needle into my arm and a bloodcurdling scream escapes my lips.  
I hear heavy footsteps from far away and my name being called, which echoes in my ear.  
Sara laughs evilly and presses the spoon to my arm.  
I scream louder, horrified.  
Everything goes black.

...

I wake up, sweating, gasping, pupils dilating viciously.  
I clutch my arm.  
It's perfectly fine.  
I'm upstairs in me and Peeta's bedroom, my head in Peeta's lap, his hand gently running through my hair.  
"It's okay." He whispers.  
"Is se gone?" I ask.  
"She was never here." He says.  
"Your lying!" I say, sitting up.  
"No honey, I'm really not." He whispers.  
"Yes you are! I saw her! You are lying to me!" I say. He caresses my cheek.  
"No I'm not." He whispers.  
"I trusted you and your lying!"  
He shocks me by attaching our lips for the first time in almost five months.  
We both instantly turn frantic.  
I find myself straddling him in my bra and jeans.  
When he loses his shirt, I know we're not gonna stop.

...

The next time I wake up, the sun is halfway down and I'm alone.  
I look around for Peeta but don't find him.  
I then realize I'm naked and I smirk.  
I get up and pull on my bra and underwear and then my jeans and shirt.  
I attempt to brush my hair and then slip downstairs, buttoning my pants.  
"Good your up." Mom says.  
My eyes drift to Peeta, who's in jeans with no shirt.  
Lucky.  
"We were planning on going out to dinner but if you don't want to..." Mrs. Mellark trails off.  
I put my hands in my back pockets.  
"Just because I was kidnapped doesn't mean I'm in capable of going into public." I say.  
"Okay." Mom says.  
Peeta looks panicked.  
I give him a confused look.  
He waits till nobody notices to place his hand on his stomach and nod at me.  
I frown and look down at my body.  
My stomach?  
What, is he saying I'm fat?  
I glare at him and he sighs.  
He points to my stomach and my boobs and my crotch and his crotch.  
Oh my fuck.  
He didn't use a condom and I haven't taken my birth control in almost four months.  
Blinding panic sinks into my veins.  
"Lets go get ready to go." He says.  
He heads for the stairs, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him.  
He shuts our door and rounds on me while he gets a shirt.  
"Please tell me your on birth control." He begs.  
"I haven't taken the pill in almost five months." I say.  
"So the morning after pill?" He asks.  
"And kill an innocent life? Peeta if I do end up pregnant, this is our child. I would never kill it." I say. "Or him or her or whatever." I say.  
"I wouldn't either." He whispers as I grab my grey vans.  
"Then why the fuck did you suggest it!" I shout.  
He sighs.  
"Because I thought you would want it." He says.  
I shake my head.  
I thought Plutarch I'm incapable of getting into a fight with him.  
I shove my phone in my pocket.  
"Should we tell them?" I whisper.  
"Do you want to?" He asks.  
"If you do." He says.  
"I think we should give them a heads up..." I say.  
"Well then we will." He says.  
He takes my hand and we go downstairs.  
We all head out to the cars.  
Peeta has to take his and I have to take mine in order to fit all the family. Jared has to take his, Ann has to take her and so does Finn.  
I get Prim, Rye, Graham and Justice.  
I've missed my car.  
We all buckle up.  
"Where are we going?" I ask.  
"Applebees," Prim says.  
I nod and back out, speeding down the road.  
I put my wallet in the cup holder.  
"I swear one day your gonna get pulled over." Rye says.  
I roll my eyes.  
"I am not." I say, blowing a red light.  
The entire family is behind me.  
They stop.  
Then the light changes and they follow me.  
"Yes you are." Justice interjects.  
"I am not." I say.  
I won't lie that I panic when I hear sirens behind me.  
The four of them start to laugh.  
"Oh really." Graham says.  
Prim's nervous.  
"Have you ever been pulled over?" Rye asks.  
"Nope." I say, perfectly at ease.  
I pull over and roll down the window.  
"And your not nervous?" Justice asks through laughter.  
"Nope," I say again.  
"Your not scared?" Graham asks.  
I roll my eyes.  
"I've seen greater fears than being pulled over." I say.  
The family passes us.  
"Peeta's flipping shit." Prim says.  
I laugh.  
"He's fine."  
The cop walks up to my side of the car.  
"License and registration please." He says.  
I get my license from my wallet and get my registration from the glove compartment, handing both to him.  
"Ah yeah, I knew you looked familiar." He says.  
"Step out of the car please."  
I see the entire family pulled over way ahead of us.  
Peeta's mad at me. I know he is. He's always yelled at me for reckless driving.  
"Walk straight please." He says.  
He thinks I'm drunk.  
I sigh and walk perfectly straight.  
He shines a light in my eyes and I force myself not to blink.  
"Do you realize you we're going 20 over?" He asks.  
"Yes sir." I say.  
He writes me up.  
He hands me the ticket and gets in his car and drives off.  
I get back in the car and pull out my phone, flipping on both blinkers.  
"What are you doing?" Prim asks.  
I lift one left up, resting it against the car door.  
**(Like your mom Laura)**  
"Paying the three hundred and-" I glance at the ticket. "Seventy three dollar ticket." I say.  
They all laugh.  
I put my phone down after I pay it and start to drive with one foot, not glancing at the family as I pass them.  
"You realize Peeta's livid, right?" Graham asks.  
"He'll live," I say as I pull in at Applebees, everyone pulling in behind me.  
Everyone is laughing when they get out, but Peeta.  
"We're you freaking out?" Jared asks.  
"Nope." I say.  
"Oh come on, your lying!" Finn says.  
"No. She didn't even bat an eye." Rye says.  
"I told you that you were gonna pay for speeding." Peeta says, uncrossing his arms and walking off to the restaurant.  
I can tell he's pissed off by the way he walks.  
"Aren't I supposed to be the one pissed off?" I call, grabbing my phone, wallet and keys and following him.  
"No because you think it's just hilarious." He grumbles.  
"Peeta come on." I say, grabbing his hand and pulling him to a stop. "It's not a big deal. I'm fine. Everyone else is fine." I say.  
He doesn't look any better.  
"Come on. Please don't let this ruin today." I say.  
He sighs.  
"Your right." He says.  
He kisses my cheek.  
"Lets go!" I say to the family.

**Idk what to say****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	20. Chapter 20

**Here.**

I stare at it, silent.  
We just got seated.  
We're in a private room so nobody will hear us.  
I clutch the spot where the burn was.  
Everyone is chatting happily.  
Peeta wakes his hand in front of me face. I blink and look at him.  
"What?" I ask.  
I look back down at it.  
"I said are you okay." He says gently.  
I keep my eyes locked on it.  
"I-I'm fine." I stutter. Everyone at our table falls silent, making the noise in this room go dead silent.  
I lift my gaze to see all their gazes on me.  
Suddenly, i'm pissed.  
"God dammit!" I burst. "Would you guys stop that! Quit acting like I'm really sensitive! It's driving me bonkers! I wasn't even doing anything and you all look at me like I'm some insane person! Why can't you guys treat me like you used to!"  
With that, I get up and storm out of the restaurant.  
I sit down against the wall, my butt not on the ground but my back against the walk.  
I drop my head into my hands, which are in fists.  
My breathing is heavy. I grit my teeth.  
I sigh and run my hands over my face.  
They're just concerned. If this was reversed and it was Peeta just getting back, I would be the exact same.  
I sigh and stand up, my hands in my back pockets as I walk back to the room.  
That's a habit now; putting my hands in my back pockets.  
Nobody looks at me as I sit back down, they just resume their conversation.  
I nudge Peeta.  
"Hmm?" He asks.  
"Are we moving?" I whisper.  
He stares at me for a moment, confused.  
"Oh! Um...if you want." He says.  
"I do." I say.  
"Well then we are." He says.  
He leans closer to me.  
"Jared told me yesterday that he's gonna move out soon." He adds.  
I nod.  
"Lets get this over with." I grumble.  
I stand up.  
"Everyone shut up!" I call.  
They all silence.  
I feel nervousness set in and my palms start to sweat.  
"Um..." I look at Peeta.  
"I'll say the one we just decided and you say the other." He says.  
"Well...there is probably a...99.9% chance that in about nine months there's going to be another person in this family..." I say.  
Mom gasps, along with Mrs. Mellark. Prim looks overjoyed.  
"Your pregnant?" Annie asks, excited.  
"We don't know..." I trail off. "I haven't taken the pill in almost five months and...well..." I sigh.  
"You forgot protection." Finn finishes.  
"Right." I say.  
"Oh my gosh I hope you are! We need another person in this family!" Prim says.  
"You better let me babysit!" Rye says. "That kid is gonna be so spoiled by me! It's gonna have candy and ice cream and cookies and cake and I'm gonna take him horseback riding and we're gonna play catch!" Rye says.  
"He?" Peeta asks, amusement in his eyes. "No. It's gonna be a she. And she's gonna ride horses and she's gonna bake and shoot a bow and she's never gonna date, she'll always be a virgin, she'll get straight A's-"  
"Excuse me?" I say, cutting him off. "She is a he. And he's gonna be just like his daddy." I say.  
"I think you mean she's gonna be just like her mama." Peeta says.  
"Oh come on! It's a boy!" Rye says, standing up.  
"No. It's a girl." Finn says.  
"It's a boy!" Jo argues.  
The entire table breaks out into an argument.  
"It's a boy!" I say.  
"It is not!" Peeta argues.  
"I would know! He's inside of me!" I say.  
"It's a girl!" Everyone that thinks its a girl corrects me.  
"No it's not! It's a boy!" I say.  
"Excuse me!" A girl shrieks.  
We all look up to see a waiter with a pen and a pad.  
We all trail off.  
Her eyes widen when she sees me but she doesn't say anything.  
"What drinks?" She asks.  
"What products?" Prim asks, sounding irritated.  
"Coke." She replies.  
I really don't want soda.  
"Water." I say.  
Her eyes linger on mine after she writes it down.  
Everyone else orders their drinks.  
When she leaves, we're all silent for a minute.  
"I'm telling you it's a boy." I mutter.  
"No it's not!" Peeta argues.  
"Boy." I growl.  
"Girl!" He says.  
"Boy!"  
"Girl!" He says.  
"Girl." I say.  
"Boy."  
He slams his hand down on the table.  
"I hate you." He growls.  
"No you don't," I say. I'm irritated.  
"Yeah I do." He says.  
"Really?" I say. "Are you sure about that?" I ask sweetly.  
Oh boy I'm about to tease him.  
"Positive." He says.  
"Well then you won't mind if I go sit over here?" I say, moving in between my mom and prim on the other side of the table.  
He sits down.  
"Not at all." He says.  
I tug on my shirt, showing off more of my chest.  
I sit back and stare at him.  
Part of my bra is showing. He stares at me, struggling to keep his eyes up.  
The entire table is silent.  
The atmosphere is awkward. Everyone is looking between my and Peeta.  
"The silence is killing me." Prim says.  
"It won't be much longer." I say. "Till he gives in." I add with a smirk.  
His eyes are so dark they're almost black.  
"He won't give in." Jared says.  
I smirk.  
"Sure he won't." I snort.  
My eyes rest on my phone, which I forgot next to Peeta.  
"He won't." Jared says. "He's just as stubborn as you are."  
"Unless it has to do with this." I say.  
I'm killing him and I absolutely love it.  
I slowly get up and walk around the table, grabbing my phone, which I "accentally" drop onto his lap, right above his crotch.  
"Oh! My bad!" I say, smiling sweetly at him as I grab my phone with both hands, letting my hands linger for a moment longer than necessary and then slowly trail my hands up, leaning closer to him.  
"It seems I've dropped my phone." I purr seducing in his ear.  
I ruffle his hair and then go back to my seat, making sure to sway my hips.  
"Damn," Rye breathes.  
"I take back what I said about him not giving in. That was...damn is right."  
My boobs are practically spilling out of my shirt.  
Peeta's eyes are black, his jaw clenches.  
"Is there a problem?" I ask sweetly, setting my phone on the table.  
"Can I talk to you?" He asks through clenched teeth.  
"But normally people don't want to talk to the person they hate..." I trail off.  
"Now." He says.  
I smile and get up.  
"Don't yell at me. People that talk to the person they hate end up yelling." I say, trailing my finger down his jawline as I pass him, swaying my hips.  
He sucks in a breath and follows me.  
I stop when we get outside.  
"Cut the shit." He growls.  
"What'd I do?" I ask sweetly.  
"You are driving me crazy! Your laugh, your smile, you eyes, your chest." He growls the last part.  
I look down at my chest.  
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't realize."  
I pull my shirt up.  
"Anything else?" I ask sweetly.  
"Yes." He says. "Payback."  
He pushes me against the wall and kisses the corner of my mouth. He then pecks my neck, trailing his mouth down to my collar bone. He runs on hand through my hair.  
"When do you want to move to Indiana?" He asks casually, caressing my cheek with one hand and the other hand at my hip.  
I have goosebumps and he knows it.  
"A-as soon at possible." I stutter.  
He dips down and locks our lips and pulls away before I have any reaction.  
"Are you okay? Your eyes are black." He grins evilly.  
He turns around and walks inside, leaving me there.  
I follow him.  
I'm angry. Now I get how he felt.  
I grab my phone from the other side of the table and tell the lady who just brought her drinks and now wants our orders the first thing on the menu.  
Then I throw myself down in my seat next to Peeta and cross my arms.  
"Oh yeah, we have one more announcement." Peeta says.  
Everyone turns their attention to Peeta except for me.  
I'm drawing swirls on my jeans with my finger.  
"Katniss and I are moving to Indiana." He explains.  
"That's great!" Mom says. That's where her and Prim live. "Where?" She asks.  
Peeta looks at me.  
I glare at him, my eyes probably blacker than the color.  
He snickers.  
"We don't know." He says.  
Everyone nods.  
"Well I'm moving out." Jared says. "And I'm gonna go to Indiana. But just not in the same house." He explains.  
"I've always wanted to live in the country on a farm." Annie says.  
"That's what we're doing." Peeta says.  
"Why don't we go to?" Finn suggests to Ann.  
She nods excitedly.  
"We're going too." Finn says.  
Everyone starts to chat about Indiana.  
I remain silent, struggling to contain myself.  
Peeta places his hand on my thigh.  
"You okay?" He asks, his blue eyes sparkling.  
I open my mouth to say something.  
"Your driving me crazy." I say under my breath.  
"How?" He asks.  
"You know damn well how." I say through my teeth.  
He grins and gently kisses me and then pulls away.  
"I hate you." I growl. I then feel bad, even though he laughs. "Wait, no I don't." I say. I pause. "No I think I do." I say. I swear loudly. "Your impossible to hate." I hiss. "It's physically impossible for me to say I hate you without correcting it. It's like a stab in the chest each time." I explain, sitting back with a huff.  
"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" He asks. Then he laughs at my annoyed expression.  
"Fuck you." I hiss.  
He grins.  
"I think that can be arranged." He says.  
My heartbeat skips one.  
Great, now I'm gonna have hiccups. That's what you get hiccups from, your heart skipping a beat.  
"Make it soon." I say.  
He laughs when I hiccup loudly.  
I fell my cheeks heat up and I clamp my hand over my mouth, hiccuping again.  
His laughter gets louder when I hiccup again.  
And again.  
"Chug water really fast and don't stop." Mom suggests. "Works every time."  
I hiccup again, loudly.  
Peeta's laughing so hard that he has to look away from me.  
"Peeta I don't know why you think this is so funny." Mrs. Mellark begins.  
I hiccup again.  
"I'm gonna go out front." Peeta says, laughing hysterically.  
He gets up and leaves.  
I grab my water and chug it, not stopping till the hiccups are gone.  
"So what made your heart skip a beat?" Rye asks nonchalantly.  
"Fuck you," I say.  
"It's good to have you back." He says, laughing.  
"Excuse me while I go yell at my fiancé." I say.  
Everyone snickers.  
I get up and leave.  
When I get outside, I won't lie when I say I'm shocked.  
Peeta's smoking.  
I want to cry.  
He's smoking!  
"What the hell!" I burst.  
Tears fill my eyes.  
He drops the cigarette and steps on it.  
"Katniss-"  
"You smoke! What the fuck!" I say.  
He remains silent. "You have to stop! No matter what it takes, I'm gonna help you stop. This can give you lung cancer!" I say.  
I reach into his pocket and grab his box of cigarets.  
From my four months of catch with Plutarch, I can throw far.  
I fling the box all the way out into the street.  
He shoves his hands into his pockets and remains silent.  
Tears start pouring down my cheeks.  
"I'm sorry." He says.  
"This is all my fault." I whisper.  
"No it's not." He says.  
"If I hadn't been taken, this would never had happened!" I say.  
"You couldn't help being taken." He says.  
I sniff and wipe my tears.  
"If I ever catch you smoking again, I will drive you to New York and make Allison put you in my old room. I will take you right to rehab." I warn before turning around and storming inside.  
I walk into the room the family is in and glare at them.  
"Did you guys know?" I ask.  
"Know what honey?" Mom asks gently.  
"Know Peeta smokes!" I say.  
"Oh please, bullshit, Peeta doesn't smoke." Jared says.  
"Yes he does! He does! I just caught him smoking!" I say, hysterically, visions of Sara popping into my mind.  
Shit.  
I grab the back of my chair.  
Smoke. Fire. The spoon, my arm.  
My heart starts beating heavily, my hands sweaty.  
"What's she doing?" Prim's frantic, crying, I think.  
"Someone go get Peeta." Haymitch orders.  
I hear heavy footsteps and then the door slams.  
I fight it, just how Allison taught me. I think of Peeta. His hair, smile, voice, laugh, lips.  
Everything goes black.

...

The next thing I am conscious of is Cinnamon, dill and sugar. One of his hands rub my back and the other runs through my hair.  
The entire family is scolding Peeta, all of them angry.  
"I mean honestly, have you completely lot your mind!" Mrs. Mellark bursts. "What's happened to my son! The one that would do anything for Katniss! Now your running around smoking and doing something to piss her off every two seconds!" She says. "Peeta she's been through hell. You can't keep this up. You have to stop. Stop yelling at her, stop smoking. Your gonna end up killing her."  
"I'm not gonna smoke after this. Ever." He whispers. I think he's crying.  
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Mrs. Mellark presses.  
I feel a drop fall onto my cheek and then Peeta wipes it.  
I act asleep.  
"That...that I'm the worst fiancé in the entire world. I wish she'd never fallen in love with me, because she deserves better." He says.  
Everyone is silent.  
I fight tears. He seriously wishes I didn't love him?  
"Peet, I don't think you mean that." Jared says. "You love her. Without her, your nothing." Jared says.  
"Her without you...she'd kill herself." Finn says. "Lets be honest here, she loves you more than she loves us."  
"Yeah...she does and we all know it. She's never admit be because she doesn't want to hurt us, but she loves you more." Annie says.  
"I really don't think so..." Peeta trails off, his hand rubbing my cheek lovingly.  
"Especially with the tracker jacker venom now." Mom adds.  
Peeta tenses.  
"I swear to god, if I ever see Sara again, I think I'll kill her. I wouldn't care if I got the death penalty. She needs to pay for putting my baby through that." He says. "And I'm never letting her out of my sight again unless I know she's safe." He adds. "And I'll never touch a cigaret again. As long as I live." He vows.  
I decide its time to make my presence known.  
"I'm gonna hold you to that." I whisper.  
"No need." He says gently.  
"Why are you not shocked she's awake!" Mrs. Mellark says.  
He laughs.  
"Mom, I knew she's been awake from the second she started to wake up." Peeta says.  
I sigh and open my eyes.  
"How much you hear?" Mrs. Mellark asks.  
"From the part where you said 'I mean honestly, have you completely lot your mind?'." I say, trying not to show how mad I am that she would say that to Peeta.  
I look around then, confused.  
"Where are we?" I ask.  
They all exchange glances.  
"We're at home..." Peeta trails off nervously.  
"Okay." I say tiredly. "Why do you guys look nervous...?" I ask, sitting up.  
"Nervous?" Peeta repeats. "I'm not nervous..." He looks genuinely confused.  
I look around.  
"Why is it so dark in here?" I ask, getting up and flipping the light on.  
Everyone has bag packed, including Jared.  
"We're going home." Mom says.  
"Oh..." I look at Jared.  
"I'm moving to Indiana." He says.  
"Now?" I ask.  
"Right now." He says.  
"Just...please watch over her." Mom says to Peeta, who stands up.  
"Of course." Peeta says.  
Everyone hugs me goodbye and then they're gone.  
Mrs. Mellark closes the door behind her.  
I stick my hands in my back pocket.  
"Did they leave because of me?" I ask.  
"No." He pauses. "I don't think so..."  
I sigh and lock the front door.  
"So we're alone..." I trail off.  
Why is it awkward?  
"Yeah..." He sighs.  
"Then I can stop acting." I say.  
I pull off my shirt so I'm in just my tank top. Then I toss my phone on the couch and slide my jeans off so I'm in my underwear. "I haven't gotten to do this since I lived alone." I say before passing him on my way up the stairs.  
I toss my clothes in the hamper and go back down.  
"Hey um...I have to talk to you...about something." He says.  
I pause.  
"Okay..." I say.  
"Sit down." He says.  
I sit down on the couch and he sits on the couch across from me.  
I'm nervous.  
For some reason, the fireplace is on.  
"I'll be right back." He puts up a finger and disappears upstairs.  
He comes back a minute later in just jeans, no shirt.  
He holds up three boxes of cigarets and then tosses them into the fire.  
"That the last time those will ever come into our house." He says. "Cross my heart." He makes an X on his chest and then sits down across from me.  
"Thank you." I whisper.  
"You know I'd do anything for you." He says. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "I have to tell you something. I was gonna wait till we got married so you couldn't just run off, but I think you deserve to know." He says.  
It's very serious then.  
I sit up, remaining silent.  
"I-we-are rich." He says. I stare at him.  
"Rich?" I repeat.  
"Well...when I was sixteen I uh...was in a music video for three people and I kind of hot a couple million dollars." He says.  
"So you are rich." I say.  
"We. We are rich." He corrects.  
"You." I say.  
"We. We're getting married. This is our money." He says.  
I sigh.  
"How much is a couple million?" I ask  
(This is extremely inaccurate and I know it so don't freak out because I'm wrong)  
He lets out a puff of air.  
"It's 22 million a video." He says. "And times 22 by three..."  
"66 million dollars." That's enough to last my entire family and Peeta's entire family a lifetime.  
"Add two." I say. "That's 68 million dollars."  
"And then add two more the all the money I've made a saved..." He says.  
I think I'm gonna pass out.  
Seventy million dollars!  
I stare at him.  
"Seventy million dollars." I say.  
"Please don't think of me as some rich snob because I have a lot of money." He begs.  
"I wouldn't do that." I say.  
He sighs.  
"And I want to combine our accounts. So it's officially both our money." He says.  
That's a lot of money.  
"I don't know about that...it doesn't seem right...you did the work for the money...it's just...doesn't seem right." I say.  
"Please? I want to do this." He says.  
I sigh and fidget with my fingers.  
"It seems wrong." I repeat.  
"Not to me. It feels right." He whispers.  
He moves so he's sitting on the coffee table, directly in front of me.  
He's showered, I can tell. And brushed his teeth.  
I think he knows I won't kiss him when he smells like smoke.  
He takes my hands in his own.  
"It feels right. I think we need to do this." He says. "We would probably end up combining our money when we get married anyways." He says. "Why not do it early?" He adds.  
This is really a bad idea. I don't know why. I don't think it's right. He worked for that money. He earned it. It doesn't seem right for him just to share it with me.  
"I don't think so...you worked for the money. I don't think it's right for you to just share it with me because I have a ring on my finger..." I say.  
He sighs.  
"But I want to." He murmurs.  
"Why?" I whisper.  
"Because. I don't have a reason, I just want to." He starts to fiddle with my fingers.  
I don't think so.  
"It seems right. Please?" He says, his eyes searching mine desperately. "Please let me do this." He says.  
"Peeta-"  
"Please?" He whispers. "Please? I really want to do this." His eyes are pleading.  
I stare at him.  
"Fine." I say. "Fine. We can join our accounts."  
"Yes!" He says happily, kissing me lovingly. "Yes!" He says again.  
I smile at how happy I've made him.  
He kisses me again and then pulls away.  
"There's one more thing."  
He pecks my lips and then run upstairs.  
He comes back with his laptop, plopping down next to me.  
"Wanna go house shopping?" He asks excitedly.  
He's adorable.  
I giggle.  
"Sure." I say.  
I pull my legs up onto the couch, leaning into him.  
He goes to google and types "Indiana"  
I laugh and take the computer from him.  
He moves sideways with his legs crosses.  
I lay my head in his lap and put the computer on my stomach, my legs bent.  
"Do you care where in Indiana it is?" I ask.  
"In the country." He says.  
"Mm hm." I say.  
"And...not very busy. Less then a thousand for the population." He says.  
"Perfect." I say. "And a ranch, right?" I ask, looking up at him.  
"Yeah." He says.  
I begin to type, pulling up the first site I see.  
"How many rooms?" I ask.  
"Well..." He begins, "we're gonna have three kids." He says. "And obviously we need a bedroom." I giggle. "So...four to five. Right?" He asks.  
"Mm." I say as I type in the amount. "Bathrooms?" I ask.  
"I don't care about bathrooms. That's your deal." He says.  
Well we're gonna have a girl one day and she'll be a teenager.  
So I'm gonna put 3 to 4.  
"How many acres?" I ask.  
"Um...a lot?" He laughs.  
Well...lets do some math.  
"How many miles?" I ask.  
"Um...44," he says.  
That's perfect for us.  
I reach into my butt pocket for my phone and don't find it.  
I groan and open a new tap, pressing the home button so it'll take me to Google.  
I quickly type "how many acres is 44 miles?" I get shit for results, giving me the opposite of what I want.  
"Great, now we have to do this manually." I say, opening the calculator.  
My eyes widen, along with Peeta's.  
28160 acres.  
That's a lot.  
I let out a low whistle.  
"That's...expensive." I say.  
"Katniss we have 70 million dollars." Peeta points out.  
"You have seventy million dollars." I mutter.  
He's sighs.  
"What! It feels like your buying everything!" I say.  
"I'm not." He argues.  
I sit up, putting the laptop on to table.  
"That's what it feels like! It feels like I'm not doing anything!" I burst.  
"But you are doing something." He says.  
"Oh yeah? What? Getting taken and come back mental?" I stand up. "Because that's not fair to you!"  
He stands up.  
"You getting taken is not your fault! And you are not mental! He argues.  
"Getting taken was my fault! I could have fought her! I could have untied my hands! I could have forced through the pain instead of blacking out!" I say, hysterical. "But no! Instead I lose my mind!" I say.  
"You couldn't have helped blacking out. And you didn't lose your mind!" He argues back.  
"I'm scared of spoons and needles! I hate when people I don't know touch me and I punch them in the face! I pass out because I picture myself back in time! I have nightmares!" I'm shouting now. "If that's not mental, I don't know what is."  
He sighs.  
"Your not mental to me. Your perfect to me." He says.  
"I cry all the time too!" I add angrily.  
"So! So what!" He says.  
"I'm not perfect. I'm far from it." I say.  
He steps closer to me.  
"Your perfect to me. You may not be perfect to anyone else, but you are perfect in my opinion." He says. "So what if you have problems. Don't we all?" He says.  
I sigh.  
"I just don't feel like I'm me anymore. I miss the old me." I whisper.  
He sighs.  
"How about I make you dinner and then we get a house." He suggests gently.  
He takes my hand and pulls me into the kitchen.  
He grabs my waist and lifts me onto the counter, running his hand through my hair, kissing my cheek and then starting dinner.  
I sigh and rest my head against the fridge.  
My phone starts ringing and before I even have a chance to get up and get it, Peeta's walked into the living room and is coming back to the stove with my phone.  
"Hello?" He asks.  
He's silent for a minute, listening.  
"No I can't." He says. He sighs. "Because I don't know if that's your real name. You could be Sara or her Dad. And I'm not about to let her get taken again." He says. He looks at me, flipping the grilled cheese. "No. I'm not gonna-" he clenches his jaw.  
I watch nervously.  
"Do you know an Allison?" He asks.  
My eyes light up and I sit up, holding my hand out for the phone.  
He looks extremely hesitant as he hands the phone to me.  
"Hello?" I ask.  
She sighs in relief.  
"Well at least I know your protected." She laughs and I smile.  
Peeta's watching me closely, ready to spring at any second.  
"Yeah..." I say.  
"Well I'm supposed to call you once a night." She explains. She sighs. "But I'm actually on your porch right now. I'm here once a week and I wanted to come today. After four months of you, it gets weird without you." She laughs.  
I raise my eyebrows and then hop off the counter.  
I look down at my bra and underwear and then just sit back down.  
"Just come inside." I say.  
She sighs.  
"The doors locked." She says.  
Peeta's stopped, staring at me, concerned. "Just come open the door." She says.  
She's actually like my best friend now.  
"Well I don't exactly have clothes on..." She chuckles.  
"I've seen you naked." She points out.  
"But the world hasn't. Peeta's the only one that has recently seen me naked." I say. "Except for you." I add.  
Peeta raises his eyebrows and leans against the counter.  
"How recent is recent?" She asks.  
"Um...a few hours." I say.  
She laughs loudly.  
"Come open the door! It's hot and there's Mosquitos out here!" She says. "There's nobody around!" She pleads.  
I groan.  
"Fine." I hang up and head for the door.  
I go to unlock it but Peeta grabs my wrist.  
"What are you doing?" He whispers.  
"Trust me." I say.  
He stares at me and then releases my wrist.  
I unlock the door and open it, hiding behind it.  
She stands there awkwardly.  
"Stop being weird and come inside." I say.  
She rolls her eyes and walks in.  
I shut the door.  
"I thought you said you didn't have any clothes on." She says.  
I look down.  
"I don't have clothes on." I say.  
"Are you wearing a thong?" She asks.  
"No..." I say.  
"You have clothes on." She says.  
"No I don't!" I argue.  
"Well then lets ask Peeta." She says.  
We both turn to Peeta, who looks confused and amused.  
"Sorry baby, but you have clothes on." He says.  
"If I can't do out in public in this then I really don't have clothes on." I retort.  
"But if I can't see what I like..." He trails off.  
Allison snickers.  
"Oh your funny." She says.  
Peeta still looks confused.  
"Peeta, this is Allison. She was my..." I don't know how to describe it.  
"Her physiatrist." Allison says. "And her nurse. I was there the day they found her and I've been there ever since. I think to think of her as my best friend, kinda." Allison says.  
I roll my eyes.  
"Oh. Well then I'm sorry for freaking out and refusing to let you talk to her." Peeta says.  
She rolls her eyes.  
"Don't apologize. That means she won't go through hell." Allison says.  
They both start to chat.  
Allison whispers something to Peeta and he starts to protest but she puts a hand up.  
"I have to. It's gonna make her better." She says.  
Peeta whispers something and she goes upstairs.  
"I'm going to put clothes on." I announce.  
I know exactly what's coming.  
I slip on a hoodie and sweatpants and go back downstairs.  
Allison knows damn well that I know what's coming.  
"How much longer am I gonna have to put up with this?" I say. She sits down across me from me.  
Peeta takes his laptop, kisses my head and disappears upstairs.  
Allison sighs.  
She opens her bag and sets down a needle on the coffee table.  
She adds a spoon and then a picture of Sara.  
I chomp down on my lip to keep from screaming from the images popping into my mind.  
This is my therapy session. They put my weaknesses on the table and time me, talking to me till I have a flashback. They keep getting farther and farther apart. My record is an hour.  
"Katniss, if Sara walked into this house right now, what would you do?" She asks, the softness gone from her voice.  
"Kill her." I say through clenched teeth.  
"You can't. It's impossible to kill her." They do this to, making me think about Sara intently while I fight flashbacks.  
These always tend to be the worst.  
"If you kill her, Katniss, they'll kill Peeta. And you love him, right?" She presses.  
"Yes." I say. I know he's not upstairs. He's at the top of the stairs, sitting there, listening.  
Or he's not. And I'm still in the hospital.  
Is this all a dream?  
"So what do you do? She's killing Peeta. What do you do?" She presses.  
"Inject the venom into her." I growl.  
"You can't. The venom isn't here. The venom is in Sara's closet. The place she kept you." I see the closet in my mind and shake my head. "What do you do?" She asks.  
"Burn her with the s-spoon." I stutter.  
"But the spoon isn't there either. Your defenseless." She says. "Peeta's almost gone now." She says frantically.  
"I-I kick her!" I say.  
"You can't. Peeta's in the way." She says.  
"I-I-I." I'm crying. "I tell her to take me instead." I say, frantic.  
"Yes! Yes! Sara takes you. She lets Peeta go. He leaves after saying he hates you. She takes you down to the basement." She pauses for a long time, probably ten minutes. It's been around a half hour.  
"Is Peeta safe?" I ask frantically.  
"Peeta's happy and safe with his wife and three kids." She says.  
Peeta left me!  
"He promised he wouldn't go!" I burst.  
"Promises are met to be broken." She whispers. "Peeta's gone. You're never going to see him again. For the rest of your life, your going I be in the chair." She says.  
She picks up the needle and a scream escapes my lips.  
I shove her hand away.  
"Katniss it won't hurt you." She says gently.  
I scream again.  
She sighs and sets down the needle.  
She picks up the spoon.  
"Are you hungry?" She asks.  
"No." I growl.  
"Katniss spoons don't hurt you." She says.  
She presses the spoon to her wrist and pulls it away.  
"Hold the spoon."  
She waits another twenty minutes, waiting for me to flashback. I don't.  
"Katniss, hold the spoon."  
She presses the spoon into my hand and I scream, flinging it across the room as I zap back into time.

"Don't do that." Sara says after throwing my phone into the street, her head slightly tilted to the side, a creepy grin on her face.  
She gets back in the car and takes my hand.

She inserts the needle into my arm and I scream bloody murder as the fire shoots through my veins. I think strongly of Peeta.  
She presses the spoon to my arm and waits till its dripping to drag it down my entire arm.  
But no, I'm Sara. And Peeta is me. And I'm torturing him.  
And he died.

...  
I wake up, drenched in sweat and tears.  
Allison is sitting across me with her feet propped up on the table, eating licorice.  
"You alright?" She asks.  
"Where's Peeta?" I whisper hoarsely.  
"Upstairs, why?" She asks.  
"I-I killed him." I stutter.  
Her eyes widen.  
"Are they getting worse?" She asks.  
"I thought it was me. I thought I was in the chair, but it was him. And I was her. I dragged the spoon down his arm and..." I trail off. "Am I gonna hurt him?" I ask weakly.  
"No. I think you were hallucinating too." She says. "I think it was you in the chair but you saw Peeta." She explains gently.  
"C-can I go see him?" I ask.  
She hesitates.  
"Alright." She says.  
I get up and go upstairs.  
I knew he was at the bottom of the stairs.  
He stands up and pulls me into his arms, not caring I'm all sweaty.  
He plants kisses all over my face, loving and gentle.  
"That sounds terrible." He whispers sadly.  
"It is," I whisper back, burying my head in the crook of his neck.  
He lifts me so my legs are around his waist, like that guy did the day I was found.  
It's so much better when it's him carrying me.  
He brings me to our room and sets me down on our bed.  
He kneels down in front of me and takes my hands.  
"You okay?" He asks sweetly.  
I nod meekly.  
Allison comes upstairs, knocking gently on the door.  
"One more thing." She says gently.  
I would do the first thing a thousand times over if I could not do this.  
I start protesting hysterically.  
"What's the last part?" Peeta asks, standing up and rubbing my back.  
"To take out more venom." Allison replies.  
"And how do you do that?" Peeta asks painfully.  
"With a needle. We fill the shot with Katniss's blood and then use another shot to put clean blood back in." She says.  
Peeta cringes, probably having an idea of what I do.  
"Why don't you leave the venom? It hasent done any harm..." Peeta says.  
"Well...we have reason to believe that the reason she has flashbacks and the fears and not the Katniss your used to, is because of the venom. So we take the venom out and she seems to lose a fear every time." Allison explains. "Like she used to be terrified of closets too." She says. "And of the dark."  
Allison flips the light off and I sit there, not affected.  
"If you don't turn it back on I'll fall asleep." I warn.  
She laughs and flips the light on.  
"See?" She says.  
Peeta nods.  
"But this time, Peeta, you need to come down with us." She says as I stand up.  
Peeta stands up too, and follows us downstairs.  
"First, Katniss, what does it feel like?" Allison asks.  
"What does what feel like?" I ask.  
"The venom. When it goes in." She says, lifting the sleeve of my sweatshirt and then sighing when it falls right back down, ordering me to take it off.  
I pull it off.  
"It feels like fire shooting into your veins. Literally." I say. Both are silent with shock. "And it feels the exact same coming out."  
Allison looks sorry, and Peeta looks nervous and sorry. "Just do it. I want this shit outta me." I say.  
Allison picks up the needle while Peeta holds me down.  
She plunges it into my arm and pulls the thing up.  
A bloodcurdling scream escapes my lips.  
I start to thrash but Peeta gets a better grip on me.  
Allison quickly pulls out the needle and inserts a new one.  
I'm sobbing.  
She quickly puts in the new blood and pulls the needle out.  
Peeta wipes my tears and rubs my back.  
"We're done. All done." He says gently, his voice weak.  
"P-please don't do that again." I whisper weakly.  
"I won't," Allison says. Every time I say that, all she says is "sorry, Kat" both Peeta and I look up at her. "That's the last of the venom. There's nothing left." She says, nervousness etched into her voice.  
"Nothing?" I ask.  
"Nothing." She repeats. "Now, don't freak out." She says.  
She places a spoon in one hand and a needle that's empty in the other.  
Nothing.  
A small grin appears on her lips as she slides a picture of Sara to me.  
Nothing.  
A grin is spreading across Peeta's lips but he says nothing.  
"What do you think about her?" Allison asks carefully.  
"I hate her." I say breathlessly, still in a ton of pain from the burning.  
"You hate her." She repeats. "And do you remember?" She asks.  
"Oh course I remember." I say.  
"And?" She presses.  
"And it's a memory." I say, not quite understanding what's going on.  
"That's it?" She asks.  
I shrug.  
"What do you expect me to say?" I ask.  
"Nothing." She says, looking slightly suspicious. "Do you want some cereal? Soup? I've cream?" She asks, looking at Peeta who looks nervous.  
"Not really..." I say.  
"Why not?" She asks.  
"Because I don't want it." I say.  
"Gimme your hand." She says.  
I hold my hand out to her.  
She takes the spoon and presses it to my skin.  
"What?" I ask.  
"You hate spoons, remember?" She asks.  
"Not anymore..." I say slowly.  
Her expression grows nervous.  
"And what do you think of Peeta?" She asks.  
I sit up, setting the needle down on the coffee table.  
I then sit back.  
"I love him." I say.  
They both sigh in relief. I frown.  
"What did you think I'm gonna say? Just because I don't have the stupid fears anymore doesn't mean I don't love him." I say.  
"I understand, but you had the venom taken out of you. We were scared that when we took it out, you wouldn't love him anymore." She says.  
"Why would I stop loving him when I loved him before?" I ask.  
She frowns.  
"We never thought of that." She says.  
I roll my eyes.  
"And if you thought that, why the fuck would you take the venom out!" I say, pissed. She's more than used to my language, and my attitude.  
"For your health." She says calmly. Its late now, probably eleven.  
"I'd rather stay with Sara than not love Peeta!" I say.  
"I'd rather you kill me then stay with Sara." Peeta says.  
"I'd rather kill myself than kill you!" I say.  
"I'd rather kill both of you if you don't shut up so I can finish and then get to my hotel. I'm exhausted." Allison says over us.  
We both trail off.  
"Okay, first of all, none of that is gonna happen, simply because you love each other say to much to do that. I can see it by the look in your eyes when you look at each other." She says.  
We both blush and smile.  
"Now, I'm going to be visiting once a month. I need you to call if something major happens, like if you were to get pregnant." She says.  
"Why?" I demand.  
She stares at me.  
"Your probably gonna be pregnant, aren't you?" She asks.  
I don't bother saying anything.  
"So I can check the baby. It could be harmful-" I open my mouth to cut her off. "Let me finish." She says. I close it. "But I doubt it will be. We got the venom out just in time." She says.  
I sigh in relief.  
"And I guarantee your probably going to still have the nightmares and flashbacks, when your really upset or your buttons are pushed." She adds. "Which could bring back the fears, I'm afraid." She says.  
"Is that all?" I ask.  
"Keep playing catch. That seemed to help you." She says. "You'll play catch with her, right?" She directs it at Peeta, who nods instantly.  
"And I don't want you back to work alone." She says. "We don't want someone frightening you." She adds.  
Work. My store.  
I haven't been around for almost five months. Do I even have a job anymore?  
Peeta nods.  
"Um...we're moving to Indiana." I say.  
She nods.  
"I need your address..." She says.  
"We don't have a house yet." Peeta says.  
"I'll call you when we get one." I say.  
"Okay, well I'm gonna be visiting on the eleventh of each month. Is that okay?" She asks.  
I look at Peeta, who stares back at me, a silent conversation running between us.  
"It's fine." I say.  
She laughs and nods.  
"Okay. Well we're done here." She gets up, shakes Peeta's hand, hugs me and then walks out the front door.  
I don't feel like house hunting right now.  
"What do you think would have happened?" He whispers as he locks the front door.  
"If what?" I ask.  
"If you stopped loving me. We wouldn't have gotten married, that's a guarantee." He says.  
I suck in a breath.  
"Then...I think I would fall in love with you again." I say. "Especially since we were best friends as kids." I add.  
"What if we weren't best friends? What I'd our families never met?" He presses.  
"Then I don't think I'd ever fall in love." I whisper. "I love you way to much." We're silent for a minute.  
"Peeta." I whisper. He looks up at me. "What would have happened if I...died?" I ask.  
"Please don't bring that up." He says.  
"Peeta I was almost dead. I almost died. What if I did? What would you do?" I ask.  
"Katniss-" he says.  
"Please! Just tell me!" I say, bouncing on the balls of my feet. "I want to know!" I say.  
"Katniss, I'm not talking about this." He says.  
"Peeta-" I try.  
"No. I'm not talking about this. I can't." He turns around and walks upstairs. I hear a door slam.  
What happened?  
I sigh and look around.  
My stomach growls and I walk into the kitchen.  
I look through the cabinets. I see bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, bread and mayonnaise.  
Oh my gosh, I'm gonna have a BLT.  
I turn on the stove and start the bacon, humming to myself and then just breaking softly into song.

Just close your eyes  
The sun is going down  
You'll be alright  
No one can hurt you now  
Come morning light  
You and I'll be safe and sound

I stop singing and switch off the burner.

Just give me a reason  
Just a little bits enough  
Just a second we're not broken just bent  
And we can learn to love again

I hum softly, flipping the bread on top of the sandwich.

I sing part of the pink song in my head and then begin to finish it out loud.

We'll come clean!

"Clean" is high, and I nail it.  
I go back to humming and then get bored with the song and switch to "who knew" by P!nk

You took my hand, you showed me how  
You promised me you'd be around  
Uh huh, that's right

I took your words and I believed  
In everything you said to me  
Yeah huh, that's right

If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong

I know better  
Cause you said forever  
And ever, who knew?

Remember when we were such fools  
And so convinced and just too cool  
Oh no, no no

I wish I could touch you again  
I wish I could still call you a friend  
I'd give anything

When someone said count your blessings now  
For they're long gone  
I guess I just didn't know how  
I was all wrong

But they knew better

Still you said forever and ever  
Who knew? Yeah yeah

I'll keep you locked in my head  
Until we meet again  
Until we, until we meet again  
And I won't forget you my friend  
What happened?

If someone said three years from now  
You'd be long gone  
I'd stand up and punch them out  
Cause they're all wrong

And that last kiss I'll cherish  
Until we meet again  
And time makes it harder  
I wish I could remember

But I keep your memory  
You visit me in my sleep  
My darling, who knew?

My darling  
My darling, who knew?  
My darling I miss you  
My darling, who knew?

"I haven't heard you sing in forever." Peeta says behind me.  
I jump and turn around, embarrassed.  
He's leaning in the entrance to the kitchen against the wall, in sweatpants and no shirt, his arms crossed. His chest is hairless, along with his stomach, his body tan and muscular. He has a six pack.  
"How long have you been there?" I ask, turning back around.  
"Since you started singing." He says.  
"So the whole time." I mutter. "Aren't you supposed to be mad at me?" I say, turning on the water, flipping it to hot.  
The only thing I still hate is being burned.  
I start to rummage through the cabinets.  
"No. I'm supposed to be taking care of you. Not treating you like hell, when you just got back from there." He says.  
"Your not treating me like hell." I reply, not turning around.  
I can't fucking find it.  
I continue to search.  
"I disagree." He says.  
"Think what you want, Peeta." I say.  
He sighs loudly and I pause.  
"I'm sorry, that was rude." I say.  
I look at him over my shoulder.  
"I love you." I say. "You better know that." I add.  
"I love you too." He says gently.  
I stick my hand under the hot water and then get down a cup and fill it almost full.  
I get out the tea bags and get one.  
"Want tea?" I ask.  
"Hmm...no." He says.  
"Mmm kay." I swear under my breath.  
"What are you looking for?" He asks.  
It's embarrassing and he's probably gonna laugh, so I don't say anything.  
"Katniss." He repeats. I sigh.  
"Icing." I say. "I know we have it." I add. "You bake all the time." I add.  
He sighs.  
"No I don't. Not anymore." He says.  
I freeze, turning all the way around.  
"Why not?" I demand.  
"I stopped. Baking reminded me of you so I stopped." He says.  
"Why did you stop because it reminded you of me?" I ask.  
He sighs.  
"You don't get it." He says.  
"What don't I get?" I ask.  
"Katniss, we thought you were dead. We all gave up after a month. We flew all around the country looking for you and never found you. We went to New York City first, after a week-"  
"What day?" I cut in.  
"Uh...I think it was a Tuesday." He says.  
He doesn't know where I was.  
He laughs lightly.  
"We actually laughed though, when we saw this girl with a pink wig on and a mask." He chuckles. My heart drops.  
"We saw Thresh and the baby and his wife, too." He adds. "He walked right past the girl." He adds. "We were across the street from her-"  
"My god." I say, turni g around with tears in my eyes. He's silent for a long time.  
He walks off for a minute and comes back with his phone, while silent tears roll down my cheeks.  
"It was you." He says.  
I sniff.  
"And the creepy girl next to you...that was Sara."  
I lean on the counter, clutching it.  
"It was you!" He's pissed. "We were so fucking close! Thresh even said she looked like you! It didn't even click! No wonder Audrey kept saying your fucking name!" He slams his hand down on the wall. I remain silent. "If I was ducking thinking, I would have known! I can't even-" he cuts off and turns around, storming upstairs, slamming the door.  
I can't stay here. Not right now.  
I walk into the living room and get my phone off the coffee table, dialing Finn. They still live here, along with Rye, Graham and Justice.  
"Hey Kitty." He says.  
"I'm coming over." I hang up before he replies.  
I walk into the kitchen and put my BLT in a bag, dump my tea into a travel cup, grab my keys off the coffee table, slide on my sandals, grab my wallet and slip out the door without saying a word to Peeta.  
I speed again. It's midnight, so the streets are practically empty.  
I begin to feel nervous. I pull in their driveway, grab everything I brought and get out, slamming the door.  
I walk up to the door and open it, stepping inside.  
Annie's in Finn's shirt and Finn's in his boxers.  
"Am I interrupting sex? I'll leave, that pissed me off when that happens." I say. They both raise their eyebrows.  
"Your acting...normal." Finn says carefully.  
"God I'm hungry." I say.  
"Are you high?" Annie asks.  
I snicker.  
"No. I'm not high." I say.  
"Well we know your not just here to be here. Not at almost one in the morning. So what the hell happened?" Finn says as I open my bag and walk into the kitchen.  
They sigh and follow me.  
I open the top of my tea and get the sugar and get a spoon and scoop some out, dumping it into the tea.  
They stare at me, shocked.  
I stir the tea and rummage through the cabinet to get the honey, pouring some in and then putting it back, mixing the tea with my sugar spoon and then licking it clean, putting it in the dishwasher, putting the tea back.  
"Katniss, are you okay?" Finn asks, his eyebrows creased.  
"Just dandy." I say.  
Finn's phone starts ringing and I realize I left mine in the car.  
He looks at me when he picks it up and presses answer, walking away.  
Annie watches me as I eat my food and throw the bag away.  
"Katniss, what's wrong?" She asks.  
"Nothing." I say, honestly forgetting why I came here.  
I drink my tea and then wash the cup and the top.  
"Katniss, seriously." Finn says as he comes back into the kitchen, concern etched on his face.  
"Who was on the phone?" I ask. I know who it was.  
"Your fiancé." He says.  
"Oh," I say.  
I dry my cup with my sleeve on my sweatshirt.  
Finn sighs and leans against the counter.  
I hear a loud knock on the door and then it opens and closes.  
Finn hurriedly starts whispering to Annie, who bursts into tears and runs away, past Peeta, who walks into the kitchen.  
Finn looks between the two of us and then leaves the kitchen, going after Annie.  
"Hi." I say, setting the cup on the counter.  
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He says.  
He still doesn't even have a shirt on.  
"What'd I do?" I ask.  
He clenches his jaw, taking a deep breath, counting to ten under his breath.  
"Katniss, if I got kidnapped, and you didn't see me for almost five months, and you thought I was dead almost the whole time, would you want me out of your sight?" He asks.  
"No," I say, not sure where he's going with this.  
"Especially if you didn't know where I went. Espically if I didn't tell you I was leaving?" He asks.  
"No," I say.  
He lets out a breath.  
"Then why did you do it to me?" He asks.  
My face falls.  
"I didn't think of that." I say.  
"Honey, I didn't know it was you, I swear to god." He says. Oh yeah. That's why I'm here.  
"I know you didn't." I say. "I'm sorry." I say. "For running away." I add.  
"What?" He bursts.  
"I mean today." I fill in quickly. He probably thought I accidentally told him I ran away and wasn't kidnapped.  
He looks angry.  
"Ar you lying? Did you actually run away?" He says. Tears fill my eyes.  
Dammit! Why do I always cry?  
"Your gonna break up with me." I whisper. I know Finn and Annie are right outside of the kitchen.  
"No." Peeta says, anger and softness both in his voice. "I'm not." He says. "Did you run away?" He asks.  
"Yes you are!" I say.  
"No I'm not!" He says.  
"You hate me." I say.  
"I do not." He says.  
"Yeah you do." I whisper.  
"Katniss that's ridiculous. I love you. You know that." He says. "Why would you think I hate you?"  
Something in my brain clicks and its like in an instant, I'm back to my old me.  
I blink multiple times. It's like I just watched the old me walk away.  
What am I doing? I was fucking kidnapped and he's upset because I left without telling him after he spent almost five months thinking I was dead!  
And he was upset because I left without telling him, and I'm accusing him of not loving me? What's wrong with me?  
What is wrong with me?  
The hurt in his eyes is evident, and it breaks my heart.  
Fuck Sara. Move on. You haven't seen her for almost four months. You haven't seen Peeta in nearly five.  
Stop letting fear rule your life. Your hurting your family. Your love. Your hurting Peeta, all because of Sara.  
You hate Sara, so why the fuck let her continue to control your life? Your not her fucking puppet!  
"You know what. Forget it." Peeta says. "Come home when you've calmed down." He adds.  
I reach out and grab his hand, kissing him hard, lovingly, just like I used to.  
He must notice the difference, because he kisses me back viciously.  
I small, quiet moan escapes from my throat and Peeta pulls away.  
"I don't think that." I whisper breathlessly.  
He reaches up and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.  
"Am I talking to my Katniss right now?" He asks.  
He doesn't add, but I know he's thinking "and not the deranged one?"  
"I think so." I whisper.  
**  
****Okay I had begging so I cut it short and posted.****  
****So what do you think? Do ya'll think Kat's knocked up?****  
****Review and tell me.**

**(btw, I'm breaking rules right nopw. My parents think I'm asleep, this just shows how 'rebellious' I am *says rebellious in sarcastic voice*****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, so this is continued right from the exact second I left off at. This part down to where they get in the car to go home from Finn and Annie's was supposed to be in the next chapter, but I cut it short so you could have an update.**

God, I'm so overactive.  
I'm marrying him. I'm in love with him. I'm more than likely going to be pregnant by morning, I think.  
It takes a bit for the egg and the sperm to join, I think. I didn't pay attention in health class because I didn't pay attention in school till I almost didn't graduate.  
I'm going to be carrying his child, whether the baby is born in nine months, or years, whatever, I'm going to carry his child one day.  
I yawn and Peeta smiles, tapping my nose.  
"Let's go home and get you to bed." He says.  
"We're leaving!" I call, grabbing my cup off the counter.  
"Bye!" Finn calls. They don't bother coming out of the bedroom.  
"I'm driving." Peeta says, taking my keys and then grabbing me and lifting me onto his back.  
I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my head in his shoulder front behind, my hair falling over his shoulder, down his bare chest.  
He's so warm, especially when I'm cold.  
"How'd she uh...grab you?" He asks as he sets me in the car, taking his time to buckle me in.  
He has to buckle me in?  
I smile at him. He's so sweet.  
"How'd who grab me?" I ask.  
He coughs awkwardly. "Sara." He says carefully.  
"A bag," I say.  
He sighs.  
"But let's not talk about her ever again. She's nonexistent. Especially when we have kids," I say. He kisses my forehead gently.  
"Agreed," He murmurs before going to his side of the car and getting in.  
He drives off.  
"Wait...how'd you get here if your truck is home?" I ask.  
"I ran." He says.  
"Why didn't you just drive?" I ask. Its two miles. He must have realized I was gone right after I left if he got there that quickly.  
"Because I wanted to ride back with you," He says, taking my hand in his own.  
"Peeta," I whisper after a few minutes of silence.  
"Hmm baby?" He asks sweetly.  
"I'm so sorry." I whisper.  
He pulls into our driveway, shuts off the car and turns to me.  
It's dead silent for a minute, the silence ringing in our ears.  
"For what?" He asks carefully.  
"For...everything. Being taken and not finding a way to tell you I was fine. For treating you horribly when I got back. I feel horrible."  
"Well don't," he says.  
"I'm serious." I say. "I feel really bad."  
He sighs.  
"You had no control over not being able to contact me." He says. "Yeah but this is me we're talking about. I could have sneaked it." I say.  
"And get yourself in trouble?" He replies.  
"Peeta if there was a way I could have sneaked it, would you have wanted me to? Just to know I was okay? I bet I could have sweet talked Allison into letting me use her phone to call you." I say.  
"Okay you win, I would have loved it just to know you're okay and alive, but still, you are okay and alive. So it's fine." He says.  
I sigh and yawn again.  
He smiles wider. I unbuckle my seatbelt and go to get out of the car, but he gets to my side first, putting me back on his back before I can do anything.  
He grabs all my stuff and I kick the door shut. He locks the car and carries me into the house, setting the keys on the table by the door.  
He walks into the kitchen and puts the cup in the cabinet and then heads upstairs, dropping me on our bed.  
He does everything for me. He plugs my phone into charge, orders me to lift my arms up so he can take my sweatshirt off, because he knows I sleep in my bra and underwear all year except for winter, when I normally sleep in sweats and his shirt.  
He even pulls off the sweats.  
"Why are you being so good to me?" I ask when he tucks me in and slides off his jeans, flipping off the light and slipping in next to me.  
"Because I love you," He whispers when I'm cocooned in his arms. He kisses my head.  
I sigh into his chest.  
"I love you too." I'm tired.  
He must hear it in my voice. He kisses my head again. "Your exhausted, go to sleep." He whispers.  
"What if I have a nightmare?" I whisper. They're intense and they tend to scare the shit out of me.  
"I'll wake you." He whispers, kissing my head for a third time.  
I begin to drift off, but the words leave my lips before I can stop them.  
"Stay with me." I mumble into his chest.  
His grip tightens.  
"Always," He says before I drift off.

...

The first thing I'm conscious of when I wake up, is I'm not sweaty, I'm not crying, or screaming, and I'm most definitely not terrified, I'm...normal.  
Then I realize I'm up first.  
I work my way out of his arms and throw on his shirt, slipping silently out of the room, downstairs.  
I walk around for a little bit, bored.  
I think about going to the store, just to get of the house, but then I decide against it because I know Peeta will freak out, especially since I'm in public.  
But I really want to. Plutarch says that the only way the media will find out that I'm back is if someone sees me, because he's still keeping everything under lock and key.  
No, I actually kind of want to just find the house and start to pack. Maybe check on the store; if i have one still.  
Peeta comes downstairs and sits next to me.  
"Hungry?" He asks, sounding tired.  
"Not really," I say honestly.  
"Me either." He says.  
We're silent for a while, not awkward, just comfortable.  
My music style has changed. That's actually sort of my therapy now.  
My phone upstairs starts ringing and I just up, running up the stairs by two and pressing answer seconds before it stops ringing.  
"Hey Mama," I say.  
"Hey boo." She says. "So listen," she begins as I head back downstairs. She pauses. "Is Peeta awake?" She adds.  
"Yeah," I say, laying down and putting my feet on his lap.  
"Okay, out it on speaker."  
I put the phone on speaker.  
"Okay," I say.  
"Hey Peeta," Mama begins.  
"Hi," he says.  
"Okay, listen." She says. We remain silent. "You guys are looking for a house in Indiana, right?" She asks.  
"Yeah, why?" I ask.  
"With a ton and ton of property? Like a thousand and 800 acres?" She adds.  
"Yes," Peeta says.  
"With a huge barn and a huge house with five rooms and four bathrooms?" She adds, her voice getting more excited by the minute.  
I sit up.  
"Yes!" I say excitedly.  
"Perfect! There's this beautiful two story house down the street from ours! It's like a half hour drive." She says. Mom and Prim also have a huge property with tons of land. "And the people that lived there moved away. It has five bedrooms and four bathrooms and a huge barn. It's like 1,800 acres. Prim and I are gonna go jump over the fence on the horses and ride to the edge of the property but there's this huge lake across the street and everyone goes swimming there. The inside has a chandelier and there's a huge window the side of both walls in the front of the house and you can look right inside and see the stairs and...You guys would love it, but it's really, really expensive." She says.  
Peeta's grin slowly spreads.  
"How much?" I ask wearily.  
"Seven hundred and eighty...thousand." she says. "I know it's extremely expensive and you guys can't afford it but I still wanted to tell you-"  
"Send us the website. We'll call to tell you if we're taking it or not." Peeta butts in before hanging up.  
Seconds later, I get a text from my mother that's the website.  
Peeta jogs upstairs and comes back with his phone, laptop and charger.  
He starts up his laptop, gently plucking my phone from my fingers, drumming his hands on the coffee table and them typing in the password.  
Mom texts me two more websites.  
Mom: the first one is the one I was telling you about, the second one is a house with less land but still a lot that's to the left of the first and the third house is to the right of the one I was telling you about. It's about the same size as the second.  
Me: ok  
"Do you care if I play music?" I ask.  
Peeta shakes his head. I go on Pandora and play country, which is all I seem to listen to anymore.  
He presses enter, both of us gasping when we see the house.  
It's beautiful. It's two stories, white and blue.  
We scroll through the pictures. The property is rich and green and beautiful and the barn is huge. The kitchen is enormous; the master bedroom has a balcony. The rooms are all huge, all upstairs, a railing in front of the hallway that overlooks the property. It even shows the lake. It has a doc right across the street.  
We finish looking at the pictures.  
"What do you think?" Peeta asks.  
"I like it." I say.  
"You like it? How much do you like it?" He asks.  
"I love it. It's perfect. It's so beautiful. I can just see us living there." I say.  
"I agree completely one hundred percent." He says. "The barn is perfect, the property is perfect, the area is perfect, nice and private." He says.  
We're both silent, going through the pictures again.  
"But one thing..." He says.  
I look up at him.  
"I know this is way into the future, but how are we gonna get the kids to school?" He says.  
I think for a long time and then click on the picture of the lake.  
It looks like the other side of it leads directly to the town.  
"It looks like the other side of the lake is town." I say.  
He pauses.  
"We get a boat." I push.  
He nods.  
"Perfect. What about storms?" He asks.  
"They're gonna have to skip on storm days." I say. "Unless you want to get up really early to drive them."  
"Alright," he says. "And Kat?" He asks. I look at him again. His eyes are dark. "I love you." He says.  
I blush, a small smile breaking out on my lips.  
"I love you too." I whisper.  
He smiles.  
"Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?" He says, running his thumb across my cheek.  
I look down at myself. I'm in my bra and underwear and his shirt and my hair is knotty and messy because I just woke up.  
"I look like a mess." I say.  
"You look flawless." He replies. He pauses. "So are we...getting the house?" He asks.  
"Do you want to?" I ask carefully. "And you better be completely honest with me. I don't want you settling." I say.  
"I want it." He says.  
"Good, me too." I say.

...

It's ours. Peeta called the guy and has been talking to him for almost four hours, asking me questions that he didn't have the answer to.  
The whole time, I made us breakfast and then lunch and I cleaned the whole house.  
I finish washing the dishes, as the clock strikes four and the he reaches hour five on the phone.  
"Yes sir," Peeta says, walking into the kitchen. "Okay. Alright, Okay, thank you." He hangs up, running his hands over his face, exhausted.  
"I'm sorry. I should have been the one to call." I say.  
"It's okay. You've done just as much work as I have." He says.  
I remain silent.  
My phone starts blaring. I dry my hands and pick it up off the counter.  
"Hello?" I ask.  
"Katniss that house was sold. The guy just came and took the sign out of the yard and he hide the key under the mat!" Mom says. God she's pissed. I laugh.  
"Yeah I know it was sold." I say.  
"How do you know?" She asks.  
"Because it's me and Peeta's house." I say.  
There's a long silence.  
"Honey don't take offense to this, but how in god's name do you have almost a million dollars?" She asks.  
"It's a long story..." I say. "I'll tell you one day." I add.  
"Okay. When are you guys moving in?" She asks.  
"No clue." I say. "Well I have to go."  
"Okay, love you." She says gently.  
"Love you too." I hang up.  
I didn't have to go; I was just tired of being on the phone with her.  
Peeta's tired, I'm tired.  
"Who's making dinner?" He asks. I don't want to, and I can tell by one glance at him, that he doesn't either.  
"The pizza man," I say.  
He sighs, high fiving me.  
"Why didn't I think of that?" He asks through a yawn.  
I yawn too.  
"No clue." I mumble.  
It's scientifically proved that if you see someone yawn, you're going to yawn too.  
There's a knock on the door.  
I look down. I'm still not dressed. Peeta's only in sweatpants.  
I head for the door, Peeta right behind me.  
I look in the peep hole. It's Rye, Graham and Justice.  
Good, I don't have to get dressed.  
I unlock the door and pull it open.  
"Your seriously not dressed yet?" Justice says as they walk into the house.  
I don't say anything.  
I shut the door again.  
"Not that we're complaining." Rye says, lifting my shirt a bit.  
I smack his arm. He raises his eyebrows.  
"You're like normal again." He says.  
"She's completely normal again." Peeta says through a yawn. "Now what the hell are you doing here?" He says.  
"We have something we wanted to talk to you guys about." Graham says.  
I sigh loudly and sit down on the couch across from them.  
"What?" I ask.  
"Well...have you got a house in Indiana yet?" Rye begins.  
"Why?" I ask before Peeta can tell them yes.  
"Because we found-" Rye does something on his phone and tosses it to me. "-This house, and we want it, but we want to live near you guys." He says.  
I take his phone, yawning. This is the house to the left of ours.  
"Yeah we got a house." I say.  
"You have one you want or you literally already have a house?" Graham asks.  
"We literally have a seven hundred and eighty thousand dollar house, why do you ask?" Peeta says.  
Their eyes bug and their jaws go slack.  
"Good one." Rye says.  
"I thought you were serious." Justice said.  
"He was serious." I say.  
They stare at us.  
"Where the fuck did you get almost a million fucking dollars!" Rye bursts.  
I nod at Peeta.  
"Katniss and I have enough money to buy seventy of those houses." He says.  
"Peeta has enough money." I say.  
He sighs loudly, irritated. We both that when we're tired; sigh a lot and get irritated very easily. Doesn't everyone?  
"No. We have enough money." He snaps.  
"You, You made the money, it's yours." I say.  
"Dammit Katniss! Stop it!" He bursts.  
"Fine!" I say angrily, standing up and storming upstairs, slamming the door to our bedroom.  
I slide into the cool covers, pissed when I realize I forgot my phone downstairs.  
I contemplate getting my iPod from my nightstand but decide against it because I'm too lazy.  
I pretend to be asleep for a while, but in reality, I'm not gonna sleep till Peeta comes up here, and that could be hours, considering he's mad at me.  
I hear the front door shut and I continue to "sleep"."  
I actually am exhausted.  
Peeta comes upstairs around ten minutes later.  
I can feel his eyes on me.  
After a minute, he sighs.  
"I know you're not sleeping." He says.  
"If we're just gonna fight over something stupid again, I'm gonna go sleep in Jared's old room." I say.  
"You're not. Because we won't. I'm sorry." He says.  
I open my eyes, squinting.  
He flips the lights off.  
"Me too, It's okay." I say.  
"I love you." He says.  
"I love you too." I mumble, rolling onto my side.  
"Are you hungry?" He asks.  
"No," I whisper.  
"Me either. We can eat when we wake up." He says, sliding into bed next to me.  
"When do we leave? For Indiana?" I ask.  
"Whenever," he replies.  
I scoot closer to him, his arms encircling me.  
"When do you wanna start packing?" I mutter.  
"I personally want to be on the road by Sunday." He says. "Leave at five in the morning Sunday."  
"Good. Wait, we have your truck and my jeep and the moving van." I say.  
"Maybe we can get Finn and Annie to fly the cars out and then get your Mom to drive us to the airport to pick them up." He suggests.  
"Mm kay," I mutter. I sigh. "We should stay awake so we can pack." I whine.  
"No, no. We can sleep. We can pack tomorrow." He says.  
"Tomorrow is Saturday." I point out.  
"So?" He says.  
"You expect us to get rid of this house, have everything planned, pack the entire house and get Finn and Annie to fly out our cars all in one day? And then get up at five in the morning the next day? I think not. That's going to be really, really hard and we're going to be exhausted." I say.  
He sighs loudly.  
"Good point. Let's just sleep for an hour and then pack." He says.  
"Deal," I say.  
We both set our alarm clocks for an hour from right now and then drift off.

...

And we're on the road. Thank god.  
Finn and Annie happily agreed to fly our car out to Indiana when we ask them to. We got the truck and the house is on the market.  
Now it's five in the morning, Peeta's driving and I'm sitting with my feet propped up on the dashboard, my ankles crossed. Peeta snickers.  
"You can seriously make yourself comfortable anywhere." He says.  
"I cannot," I say, rolling my eyes.  
"Baby you fell asleep last night with your phone on your face and then you fell asleep when I picked you up and then fell onto the floor." He replies. I roll my eyes.  
"So I can fall asleep anywhere?" I say. "Because I fell asleep on the floor?" I ask.  
"You could fall asleep in a wood chipper." He says.  
I huff.  
"Cannot," I say like a child.  
"Yeah you could." He smiles.  
"Whatever," I turn my attention to the window.  
"Oh come on, I was playing! You know that!" He says, taking my hand and raising it to his lips, kissing it gently.  
Warmth spreads through my body at the spot his lips just touched and I shiver violently.  
"Are you cold?" He asks.  
"Nope," I say.  
"Then why did you just shiver?" He presses.  
"Because I did." I embarrassed. My cheeks start to slowly get hot and I know I'm blushing.  
"Katniss," he presses.  
I bite my lip and look at him. His eyes go black and he drops my hand.  
"What'd I do now?" I demand when his attention goes back to the road.  
"Nothing," he says shortly.  
"Peeta-"  
"It's nothing," he repeats through a sigh.  
"Please don't be mad at me." I say.  
"I'm not mad at you. Just the opposite, actually." He mutters.  
His eyes are dark, he's the opposite of mad...ha.  
"Oh, I see," I say with a smirk. "I'm driving you crazy and your about ready to rip my clothes off right-"  
"Okay, you win." He cuts in, tightening his hand on the steering wheel.  
"Win what?" I ask to kill him.  
"Katniss cut it out." He says.  
"Cut what out?" I ask sweetly.  
He glares at me.  
"What'd I do baby?" I ask.  
I have on a pair of light blue skinny jeans, a tightly, low cut white tank top that shows off way too much cleavage and then a black half shirt over it that covers it up. Not to mention the hot pink push-up bra.  
"Nothing," he says, giving me his attention when we turn to a light.  
He pulls off his black leather jacket, revealing his muscle shirt.  
Fine, two can play this game.  
I sit up and pull off the black half shirt, revealing my skintight white tank top that's showing off my boobs because of the push-up bra that is pink and you can see through the tank top.  
He swears under his breath.  
"I fucking hate you." He growls.  
"You can pull over if you want to." I say sweetly.  
He looks like he's seriously contemplating it.  
"We can't. This isn't our car..." He says.  
"It's a moving truck. Who fucking cares?" I say, my eyes flitting to the light, which just turns green.  
"Green," I say.  
He checks first, both of us remembering last time with Caleb.  
He starts to drive.  
I start to fiddle with the radio, reaching over and dropping my phone into his lap on purpose.  
I sigh and dig through my bag for my P!nk CD and pop it in.  
I then reach over and grab my phone from his lap.  
"Sorry," I giggle.  
We pull into a gas station.  
He gets out and slams the door.  
We're getting close to the country.  
When he gets back in, his face is red.  
"Get out," he orders roughly.  
Damn he's so sexy when he's angry. He knows I love it too.  
"Yes sir," I say, eyes probably dark.  
I unbuckle and hop out of the car.  
He stalks towards the building without a backwards glance at me.  
I suck in a breath, clench my fists and follow him. He has no idea the affect he has on me.  
I walk into the building, following him. He grabs bags of chips and gum and sodas and water, handing some stuff to me so he can get the huge pack of water.  
"Keep it up," he says quietly when he passes me.  
"I didn't even do anything," I grumble.  
"You're killing me by just standing there." He says under his breath.  
"Well then I'll just go to the car." I say.  
"No you won't," he says as he sets everything down on the counter.  
I drop everything too.  
The man is around our age and he's eying me.  
"Sweet Jesus," the guys says.  
I'm in a thong...did I mention that?  
"You are even sexier in person." He says.  
I don't have the black half shirt on anymore, I have a hot pink push-up bra and the white tank top is completely see through.  
"Are you taken? I really want you." He says.  
"She's my fiancée." Peeta says, glaring at him.  
The man looks like he doesn't care.  
"I'm not talking to you." He says.  
"But he's talking to you." I say to the guy. "And I don't want you." I add, moving so I'm behind Peeta.  
Peeta angrily pays, handing me stuff, making sure to take most of it.  
He's pissed.  
He makes sure to bend down and give me a long kiss, leaving after shooting the guy a look or triumph.  
I snicker and follow him.  
We put everything in the truck and get in.  
"You need to change." He says.  
"Why?" I ask.  
"I'm not playing games with you." He says.  
"Fine, I'll change." I sit up and pull off the white tank top. He's driving again.  
"Katniss Joy, I'm not playing any games with you." He says.  
I ignore him and get the black half shirt, pulling it on so that's all I'm wearing.  
He slams his hands down on the steering wheel.  
"I give up! Your impossible!" He bursts.  
I'm honestly irritated. It's a fucking shirt!  
I sigh loudly and dig my phone and earbuds out.  
"Wait," he says, sounding gentler. He pulls over. "Please don't shut me out. I'm sorry. You have no idea the effect you have." He says. "Don't shut me out, please?" He begs. I stare at him.  
"Fine." I say.  
I know he's mad at me. I'm not trying to piss him off!  
I want to put in my earbuds but I suck it up and play my P!nk CD, singing along

...

Second day and I'm driving. We don't stop at hotels. I'm now in white jeans and a blue half shirt. I know he's mad at me. We hardly speak, the atmosphere is tense and I hate it.  
We stop for gas and I refill us. We have plenty of food and water. I get back in the car and go right back to driving. We've hardly spoken a word.  
I didn't mean to. I upset him. What have I done?  
"Peeta," I say.  
"Hmm?" He asks.  
"I'm sorry," I say. "I was being a bitch and I didn't mean to upset you but I did and I'm so sorry." I whisper.  
"It's okay," he says. "I wasn't even upset." He says.  
"Then why the fuck were you ignoring me?" I burst.  
"I wasn't. I was just not in the mood to talk." He says.  
"So you ignore me? All you had to fucking say was 'I don't feel like talking' and I would have left you alone!" I hiss.  
"Sorry," he says.  
"You don't really mean it." I hiss, slowly down when I see I'm going twenty over.  
"Think what you want." He says.  
He puts in his earbuds and then acts like I don't even exist.  
I force myself not to cry.  
Fine, I don't care. Hate me if you want, I don't fucking care!  
But I know I'm lying. I care. Even though the venom is out of me, I feel the same with the amount I love him. It pains me both mentally and physically to be without him, even though I really am with him.  
I text Annie.  
Me: I want to fucking die  
I continue to drive, my phone beeping a few minutes later.  
Annie: why?  
Me: Peeta's mad at me because I had a half shirt off with nothing underneath it and jeans and he won't talk to me. This all happened yesterday and today I told him I'm sorry for the third time and he said he was never evened at me in the first place. I asked him why he wasn't taking to me and he said he didn't feel like talking  
I looked between my phone and the road while I typed.  
Annie: that's fucked up. So what's he doing now?  
Me: he's ignoring me by listening to music with his earbuds  
Annie: that's fucking stupid. So where are you guys?  
Me: we're halfway there. We just passed the border to Nebraska.  
Annie: so probably two more days  
Me: sadly  
Peeta takes out his earbuds and remains silent.  
Annie: lol  
I don't reply, I just shut my phone off and drop it into the cup holder.  
The P!nk CD is on and Blow me one last kiss comes on.  
I fight a smirk.  
This is perfect.  
In the song in the chorus it says "I think I've finally had enough. I think this may be it for us. Blow me one last kiss"  
Maybe it'll scare him shitless.  
I hope to god it does. He sighs but says nothing. I stay silent, tightening my grip on the steering wheel.  
He sighs loudly, irritated. He remains silent though.

...

Third day is just as bad as the first, except he's driving and I'm not. Now I'm in black skinny jeans and a t-shirt.  
I'm listening to music from my phone with my earbuds.  
I've decided he's breaking up with me. Either that or he's so desperate for sex that he can't talk.  
I doubt he wants sex. That's not how he's acting.  
It's three in the afternoon and we haven't spoken a word to one another today. I don't plan on it anyways. It's upsetting me.  
I think we're both shocked when we get into Morgantown, Indiana.  
We turn onto Maplewood, which is our street.  
The first house is the one Rye, Justice and Graham wanted.  
We pass forest and fields and the grass is rich green and the trees are perfect.  
On the left side, a lake comes into view. Nobody is there.  
I know we're close, because Mama said the lake is across the street.  
There are trees in the rich fields, forest farther out.  
Peeta and I exchange a surprised look at how nice this place actually is, our jaws dropping when the next house comes into view.  
"There's no fucking way." I say.  
I check the numbers on the mailbox, my jaw going slack.  
Peeta slowly pulls in.  
"Damn," he breathes.  
I'm really excited.  
Peeta and I exchange a glance.  
At the same time, we unbuckle and hop out, my phone in my back pocket.  
We stare at it.  
The driveway is round and the grass is rich green. The house is brick and the roof is green, the right side taller than the left.  
We slowly step forward and head for the door, him silently gesturing for me to unlock it.  
I get the key from under the mat and unlock the door, waving for him to open it.  
He does and the scent of oak overwhelms me. My god I love it!  
"My god," I mumble, speaking for only the second time today.  
The walls are oak. There's a fireplace and a huge window, off to the left is a huge kitchen with tons of counter space, a window to the left of it.  
There's the stairs with a door underneath them and a door to the right of them.  
Peeta walks over and pulls it open.  
It's a bathroom with a toilet and a sink, the half bathroom.  
He grabs my hand and pulls me upstairs.  
There's one door to the left that's a bedroom, then one the front of the left that's a full bathroom, then in the middle, that's the master bedroom with a balcony that has double doors that overlooks our 44 miles of property.  
Then there's a closer to the right and a master bathroom to the left with a Jacuzzi for the bathtub and a huge shower that fits both of us.  
I smile evilly.  
"I'm sure we'll be putting those to work." I mutter under my breath.  
He snickers.  
I turn around and walk out onto the balcony.  
My jaw drops.  
Peeta comes out behind me, having the same reaction.  
The land is huge. I can't even see the end of it.  
There's a huge fence around it and I can't find the end of it because its lost in a tree.  
The barn is eighteen stalls and its huge. There's outside stalls too.  
"Man." He mutters.  
"We did well," I say.  
"Agreed," he replies.  
I still think he's mad at me.  
I turn around and walk back into the house.  
The door to the right is another bedroom.  
There are five. Every room has walk in closets.  
Down the hall is two more rooms and one of them has a small bathroom in it with a shower that's a bathtub as well and then there's a bathroom out in the hall between the two sets of rooms.  
"This is perfect," I say, looking around.  
He sucks in a breath.  
"Do you want to go and start unpacking right away, or do you want to go explore outside?" He asks carefully.  
"Explore," I say.  
He probably already knew I was gonna say that.  
"I think after we unpack we should go get horses." He says.  
"Really?" I ask, excited.  
I've never ridden a horse, even though I grew up in the country.  
"Really," he says.  
Peeta, however, used to go to a place in the summer till he moved out, so he practically spent his summers with horses, so he gallops and jumps. He's really good.  
But I never told him I don't have a clue how to ride.  
Prim and I are legit the only people in our families that can't ride horses. Well, now I suppose it's just me, simply because Mom and Prim have horses.  
"I lied to you!" I blurt.  
He stops walking and turns to me.  
"About what?" He asks.  
"I have no clue how to ride a horse. I've never even touched one." I say shyly.  
"Well then I'm gonna have to teach you." He says.  
I don't want to go anywhere until we talk. For real talk, not fight, talk.  
"I..." I sigh. "I'm so sorry. For teasing you, for everything. I shouldn't have done it. Please don't leave me." I say.  
He sighs.  
"I told you I was never mad at you." He says softly.  
"Then why were you ignoring me?" I demand.  
He looks hesitant.  
"Peeta?" I ask carefully.  
"I can't explain it to well." He says.  
"Can you try? Please? I can't stand not talking to you, baby." I beg.  
He sighs and steps closer to me, joining our lips.  
Man have I missed his lips so much.  
He lifts me up so my legs are around his waist.  
In one hand, I have his t-shirt balled into my fist, and in the other, I have his hair tangled in my fingers, our lips molding together fiercely.  
He reluctantly pulls away, his eyes black, mine probably matching his.  
I don't want to stop.  
"I want to keep going. I've wanted to keep going." He whispers.  
"Let's keep going." I beg, the hand I have in his hair trailing down the side of his face, coming to rest at the neckline of his t-shirt, my fingers curling around it.  
"We can't. We have things to do." He says.  
"They can wait." I whine.  
He wants to give in.  
"Please?" I beg weakly. "We can do them right after." I add softly.  
Instead of answering, he joins our lips.

...

The barn is huge. Our normal, easygoing, playful attitudes towards each other are back.  
Sex was all it was.  
"Do you actually want to walk 44 miles?" I ask.  
"No. We can forget that and do it later." He says. "We should go see your mom and Prim though." He suggests.  
"We probably should, but we're gonna have to walk and that's gonna take a while." I say.  
"Good point," he says. "You should call Finn and Annie." He says.  
I pull my phone out and dial Finn.  
"You should see where Jared lives." I say.  
"He lives just outside our town. But it's like two hours from here, in the city." He says.  
I sigh.  
"Oh," I mumble.  
"No need to call me," Finn says behind me.  
I whip around. Both him and Annie are here.  
"This place is amazing." Annie notes.  
"What the fuck?" I ask.  
"How?" Peeta asks, shocked.  
"Well...we bought the house to the right of yours. We packed everything on Sunday and flew out here Monday and made tons of trips to the airport. Your cars are in your driveway." Annie explains.  
"You guys are incredible." I say, hugging both of them.  
"Need help unloading?" Finn asks. "We're already unpacked and everything."  
I look at Peeta, who shrugs and nods.  
"Sure, let's go." Peeta say.  
"Race you guys!" I say, bolting through the barn.  
"No fair!" Annie calls, the three of them chasing after me.  
I run over to the truck and slam my hand against it, then Annie, then Peeta, then Finn.  
"I win!" I say, panting.  
Peeta kisses my cheek and opens the back of the truck, him and Finn starting to get furniture.  
We start to unload, Annie and I getting boxes.

**Actually, I'm gonna just post the link here. You're gonna have to use your imagination for part of it because I made some of it up, like the lake.****  
**** . ?a=2&b=1081****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	22. Chapter 22

**I'm gonna be skipping times in a lot of chapter but bear with me.****  
**

We finish bringing all the boxes and furniture inside in almost exactly an hour.  
"Okay, well we're gonna go." Finn says after helping Peeta carry everything that goes upstairs up there.  
"Thanks guys, seriously." I say.  
"No problem," Finn says, hugging me and then shaking Peeta's hand.  
Annie hugs me like I'm her best friend and then looks at Peeta and then gives him an awkward hug.  
Peeta looks uncomfortable.  
They leave, Finn shutting the door behind himself softly.  
"Okay, spill." I say.  
"What?" He asks, walking to the kitchen to start opening boxes.  
"You and Annie," I say. He tenses immediately.  
"I don't know what your talking about." He says.  
"Your lying," I reply, rolling my eyes.  
"I'm not," he says.  
"Yeah you are," I say. "Peeta, baby, what happened?" I ask gently.  
He sighs.  
"Your gonna be really, really angry and you may even break up with me." He says. "But I feel guilty not telling you."  
Okay, now I'm nervous.  
"What happened?" I repeat.  
He sucks in an extremely nervous breath and turns to me, panicked.  
"We...we kissed." He says. I stare at him.  
Is he joking? He must, or it was an accident, Peeta wouldn't do that.  
"You kissed?" I repeat.  
"Not on purpose. I was coming upstairs with a box when Annie was coming down, fast. She slammed into me and we both fell down the stairs and she landed on top of me and we kissed on accident...and then she ran away." He's so panicked.  
"Where were Finn and I?" I ask.  
"Outside. I'm so sorry. I swear to god it was an accident." He says, panicked, wiping his hands off on his jeans.  
"I'm not mad," I say.  
"Your not?" He asks, shocked.  
"No. It was clearly an accident, why should I be mad? It didn't mean anything, right?" I ask.  
"Of course not!" He says.  
"Then I'm not mad." I say.  
He sighs, relieved.  
"Thank god!" He says, both of us moving into the living room. "I thought you were-" he cuts off to the sound of shouting outside and then Finn bursting into the house, more angry than I think I've ever seen him.  
We both know what he's gonna do, but I act first.  
Finn charges at Peeta and I knock him down.  
"Get the fuck off!" He shouts.  
"No!" I shout back.  
He ignores me and moves, standing up, his hands in fists, his eyes pitch black, his chest heaving.  
I get up.  
"You kissed my fucking fiancé!" He shouts.  
"I didn't," Peeta says calmly. He won't fight back, and I know it.  
Finn punches him. Peeta just stands there.  
I grab Finn's arm and jerk him roughly back, Annie nowhere to he seen.  
"Fucking stop!" Finn shouts. I shove him.  
"You stop!" I shout back.  
"Your fiancé is cheating!" He says.  
"No he's not and neither is yours!" I shout back.  
Finn loses it and swings at me. I jump out of the way two second before his fists connects with my face.  
"It was an accident!" I say, pushing back Peeta who looks like he's ready to kill him.  
"No it wasn't!" Finn shouts.  
"Think whatever the fuck you want. I'm leaving. If I get home and you two are fucking fighting-" I cut off to think of a punishment that'll scare the shit out of them that I won't actually do. "-Then you can have the fucking ring back and you can say goodbye to ever seeing me again."  
I turn around and walk out of the house, grabbing my car keys on the way.  
They both call frantically after me but I ignore them and get in the car, driving off.  
Around a half hour later, I pull into Mama and Prim's driveway.  
I get out and slam the door, pissed.  
I grab my phone and keys and storm into the house.  
Mom looks up from the kitchen.  
"Katniss!" She says, wiping her hand on a dish towel and hugging me.  
I sit on the counter.  
"Hey Mom," I say, smiling. "Prim!" I call.  
There's a pause and then Prim runs into the kitchen.  
"Katniss!" She exclaims, hugging me.  
I smile and pull away from her.  
I set my keys and phone on the counter.  
"What's up?" I ask.  
"I'm making dinner," Mom says.  
"And I was on iFunny," Prim says.  
"What about you honey, how are you?" Mom asks carefully, trying not to show how worried she actually is about me.  
"I'm fine," I say.  
"Fine?" She asks.  
"Fine," I repeat, hopping off the counter and rummaging through the cabinets for what I'm craving.  
"What are you doing?" Mom asks when I pull the icing out of the cabinet.  
When Prim, Jo and I were kids, my mom used to say she was gonna make a cake and then she let the icing sit in the container. When she was upstairs, the three of us got spoons and ate all of it.  
"Katniss, don't you dare." She says.  
I ignore her, getting two spoons, causing both Prim and Mom's eyes to widen.  
There's a knock on the door.  
"If its Peeta or Annie, I'm not here." I say.  
Prim nods and walks off to the door.  
"I know she's here." Of course it was Peeta and Finn.  
"She's not," Prim says.  
"Her car is here," Peeta says.  
I know they're gonna come anyways.  
"Go away!" I call, , scooping out a ton of icing and walking into the living room to the door.  
There house is a much, much smaller model of me and Peeta's.  
"Are you staying here the whole time?" He asks.  
"I told you I'm staying here till I want to come home. Of you guys haven't made up, I'm calling the wedding off and I'm never going to be friends with Finn again." I say.  
He sighs.  
"Fine," he turns around and stalks off.  
I shut the door and go back to the kitchen.  
"God he's annoying sometimes." I say.  
"Your calling the wedding off?" Mom asks as she drops chopped up broccoli into a pot.  
"According to him I am. But I'm not." I say, sucking the icing off the spoon.  
They both raise their eyebrows.  
"Wow," Prim says, shocked I'm eating off a spoon.  
"I told you I was fine," I say, shrugging.  
I really want to mix peanut butter and icing.  
"I'm gonna try something," I say.  
I get the peanut butter and a bowl and scoop some in, then getting icing.  
"Oh gross!" Prim wrinkles her nose.  
I roll my eyes and start to mix it.  
"Lemme try," she says.  
She swipes her finger through the concoction, gagging.  
I lick the spoon clean.  
"It's good, why are you acting like its gross?" I demand.  
"Because it is gross!" She says.  
"Let me," Mom says, trying some. She wrinkles her nose.  
I ignore both of them and start eating it by the mouthful.  
"Peeta would agree with me!" I say.  
I want him here so I call him.  
"Hmm?" He says.  
"How far are you from my Mom's house?" I ask.  
"Like five minutes, why?" He asks.  
"I need help," I whine, sounding hurt.  
"I'm coming," he hangs up.  
I snicker and put my phone on the counter.  
"You realize you just scared the shit out of him, right?" Prim says.  
Mom rolls her eyes and goes back to stirring the soup.  
We all chat, laughing about random things.  
Peeta comes into the house, not bothering to knock.  
He walks into the kitchen.  
"I knew you weren't hurt." He says.  
"You know we made up and are just waiting for you to come home, right?" Finn says.  
"Well you know I was just saying I was gonna leave Peeta and stop being friends with you, right?" I ask. They both look pissed.  
"You were just saying that!" He bursts. "Do you seriously think that's funny?" He says loudly, pissed.  
I remain silent, knowing he's right but not really caring.  
He walks over to me so I'm directly in front of him.  
"Please just don't do that again." He whispers, kissing me gently.

**Like I said, bear with me with all the skipping of times**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

**-KatPeeta22**


	23. Chapter 23

**Idk what to say so uh...here**

It's thanksgiving break, the entire family is here. Two months later, almost three, since I came home.  
Everyone is staying with Peeta and I because we have the biggest house. Well, not Rye, Graham, Justice, Finn and Annie or Mama and Prim.  
I'm lying on the floor with my knees bent.  
"Does anyone know the cup song?" Allison asks.  
Yes, Allison. She came to visit on the eleventh and came back today.  
"Oh my god, you guys have to see this hilarious video of this girl doing the cup song!" Rye says excitedly.  
He pulls out his phone ad starts typing away.  
Everyone crowds around him, me farthest away.  
He presses play and I try not to scream.  
It's Sara Ascot.  
And it's about me, I can tell that the second she starts singing.

_I want to kick it with you all day I can't believe the love we've found__  
__And it seems like you just don't feel the same so I'll make sure you can't make a sound_

I slowly start to back up and slip out the back door, into the freezing cold. It's eight at night so it's pitch black, and we don't have street lights in the country, so the only light is the stars and moon.  
It's cold enough to snow, and I haven't got a jacket.  
I can't ride a horse. Peeta tried to teach me, but I was way too scared.  
Well I guess I'm gonna learn.  
I run off to the barn and get on one of the horses, April.  
I tug her reins and she start to gallop, causing me to gasp.  
I steer her like I would a car, heavy tears rolling down my cheeks.  
I'm not sure, but I think its two hours till I stop.  
I drop my head onto the horses main, sobbing.  
The horse neighs softly, caring, it seems.  
I sob hysterically.  
Sara wrote a song about me. She didn't say it was about me, but I know it was.  
I'm cold and crying hysterically.  
Visions start to creep into my mind and I zap into a flashback hat didn't really happen.  
Sara takes out the butcher knife and slices both my wrists, cutting into the bro.  
She then takes the blue cup she had and pours tracker jacker venom on them.  
The pain is so intense that I black out.

...

I wake up, my head on the horses mane, dry tears marking my cheeks.  
I sit up and look around. I'm in the same place.  
I've been out for at least an hour, maybe even two.  
This means I've been gone for three hours.  
I'm so cold. I'm shivering, my teeth are chattering, too.  
Its pitch black outside and all I want is to go home to Peeta. I want him to hold me and I never want to be away from him.  
I tug the reins and the horse takes off. I think I'm on angel, but we have eighteen horses, so I don't really know.

I'm surprised when I get to the barn to see that all the horses are gone, even though it's one in the morning.  
I put Angel in her stall; I was right, that is her.  
I hop off, shivering, I've cold.  
It's snowing heavily outside.  
I walk inside.  
"Peeta, Sara's in jail. There's no way she found her." Rye says gently, in the kitchen. He's one of those people that can joke around one second and then be completely serious the next.  
Kaitlin, Madison, Audrey, Jacob and Ryan are all asleep on the couch.  
I shut the door and Rye looks up, relief flooding his face.  
"She's home," he says. "Okay, see you in a minute."  
He hangs up and rushes over to me, hugging me tightly.  
I breathe heavily into his chest.  
"Everyone was coming home. They should be here in a minute." He whispers. He lets out a low hiss. "You're freezing!" He says, taking me hand and pulling me into the kitchen.  
He gets the tea lot and fills it with water, putting it onto the stove.  
"Are you insane?" He begins. "Do you have any idea how long you were gone?" He adds, pissed.  
"I'm sorry," I whisper.  
"You scared all of us to death!" He says, struggling not to shout.  
I hear voices on the porch.  
"I'm sorry," I repeat.  
"Honestly! It's a fucking video!" He bursts. "You leave for five hours over a fucking video?" He says.  
Tears well in my eyes and I look down.  
When I'm upset about Sara, I become very vulnerable right away and when someone says something about her, I automatically believe them.  
I know I do it, but I can't help it.  
"Katniss your fucking crazy." Rye adds, angry.  
"She is not," Peeta says gently.  
Everyone walks into the kitchen.  
"Cut her some slack, Rye, honestly." He adds.  
"Whatever, I'm going to bed. Her skin is ice cold." He says, walking out of the kitchen.  
"Yeah I'm really tired, so I'm gonna hit the sack too." Finn says. Annie nods and they walk out, closing the front door behind them.  
Mom and Prim leave, and then everyone else does too, leaving just Peeta and I awake.  
He switches off the burner, turning to me.  
"Let's go to bed," he says, taking my hand and pulling me upstairs to our bedroom.  
I don't have to ask anymore, so I just take his shirt from his drawer, stripping to my bra and underwear, throwing my clothes into the hamper and then pulling on his shirt and slipping into bed next to him.  
He wraps his arms around me.  
"Your ice cold," he whispers. "Why?" He adds.  
"Because I was gone for five hours, passed out in the same place for one of them and I didn't have a jacket." I say. He goes to say something but I cut him off. "And don't you dare give me sympathy, because it was entirely my fault." I butt in.  
He sighs.  
"Then never mind, I love you, I'm going to sleep," he whispers.  
"I love you too," I whisper, kissing his chest, right over his heart.  
He plants a gentle kiss on my head and then remains silent.  
I drift off at I think the exact same time.

...

The other side of the bed is cold.  
I groan loudly and throw the covers off me, too lazy to do anything with myself except for brush my teeth and my hair.  
I leave on the pajamas and slip downstairs, half awake.  
They're all joking around in the living room.  
No seats are open, just like yesterday, but this time I really don't want to go on the floor, so I drop myself into Peeta's lap.  
His arms snake around me right away, him planting a soft kiss on my cheek from behind.  
"How did you sleep?" Mom asks.  
"No clue," I say. "I hate when people ask me that. I'm asleep; I don't know how I slept!" I say, tiredness laced heavily into my voice.  
I yawn and sit back.  
Prim comes out from the bathroom.  
"Kat I need a fucking tampon," she says.  
Suddenly, I'm wide awake, but I don't know why.  
I silently get up and walk into the master bathroom upstairs, Prim following me.  
I dig through the cabinet and give Prim a tampon.  
She pushes me out of the bathroom and slams the door in my face.  
Well then.  
I pace my bedroom, something tugging at me, but I don't know what.  
I sigh and give up, going downstairs, back to Peeta's lap.  
Allison is nowhere to be seen. She probably went back to New York.  
Prim comes back downstairs in my jeans.  
"Nice jeans, bitch." I say.  
She flicks me off and then sits down on the couch.  
The thing tugging at me clicks and I gasp loudly.  
"Holy shit!" I say loudly.  
Tampons.  
Periods.  
Oh my fucking god, I completely forgot.  
I'm two and a half months pregnant.  
I didn't get morning sickness, but I know not everyone does.  
"What is it? What's wrong?" Peeta asks frantically.  
I slowly stand up.  
I can't tell him, or anyone, not yet. I'll tell them on Thanksgiving, but for right now, I need to make sure.  
"One of the horses are loose!" I exclaim, pointing out to the backyard, which is completely empty.  
Everyone immediately springs up and runs out back.  
I bullet up the stairs, taking them two at a time.  
I pull off Peeta shirt and pull on a long sleeve one, slipping into jeans and my boots.  
I grab my phone and jacket, pulling it on as I run downstairs.  
"She's up to something," Peeta says, right outside the back door.  
I grab my keys and slip outside just as everyone gets inside.  
I run to my car and start it, backing out and speeding out of sight.

...

By the time I get to the grocery store, I've already gotten into a small argument with Peeta about me "just leaving and lying" and I ended the call by saying "shut up"  
But now I'm speeding past my house, driving a half hour to my Mom's.  
We don't lock doors in this town; there's no need.  
I walk right inside and go right to the bathroom.  
I'm taking a pregnancy test.  
I piss on the stick and then set it on the counter, walking out if the bathroom to pace the living room.  
What am I gonna do? I knew I was probably going to be pregnant, but two months passed and I haven't looked any different.  
I count to 120 in my head and then walk back into the bathroom.  
I suck in a breath and drop my gaze to the stick, which unmistakably shows two pink lines.  
I'm pregnant.  
But I'm not telling anyone, not yet. I can't.  
Am I even showing?  
I slowly lift my shirt and turn sideways.  
Yes, I am fucking showing. How stupid could I be? My clothes have gotten tighter, I've been having weird cravings, I'm moody, I mean honestly, am I that stupid.  
I can't take the test home, but there's no way I'm throwing it out.  
An evil smirk starts to grow on my lips as I pick up the test and go to the car, speeding an hour to Rye, Justice and Graham's.  
I walk into their house and go right to Rye's room.  
I think about putting it in his shirt pocket of a shirt he never wears, but Thanksgiving is coming, so he's gonna have to wear a nice shirt.  
I look around, my eyes locking on the DVD/VCR player.  
Who uses a VCR anymore these days?  
I push the test in and then run out of the house.  
I speed the half hour home, bracing myself before I push into the house.  
Peeta's irritated with me, but I can't be irritated with him, not with what I know right now.  
"Are you at least gonna tell us where you went?" He begins.  
I grind my teeth.  
"I went to the store," I say shortly.  
"And you're lying again, because you have nothing with you." He says. "I thought you were getting milk?" Shit. I completely forgot.  
"I forgot," I say.  
"You forgot," he says. "So you go to the store and then come back with nothing."  
"Actually," I say. I feel bad, so I'm gonna tell him. He's the father, he should be told. "I didn't come back with nothing." I walk past him, giving him the receipt as I go upstairs, slamming the door to the bedroom.  
I drop everything on the floor and go out to the balcony, slamming the sliding door.  
I sit down at the edge with my feet through the bars.  
"Well?" He says behind me, shutting the door and sitting down.  
I sit and pull my legs out from the bars, sitting against the house.  
"Are we having a baby?" He asks, sitting up excitedly.  
I start nodding.  
"Yes, we're having a baby." I whisper.  
A grin spreads across his face as he stands up, pulling me with him.  
"We're having a baby?" He repeats.  
I nod.  
"We're having a baby boy." I say.  
"Girl," he says.  
"Boy,"  
We begin to bicker.  
"Okay, fine, a he/she." I say.  
He starts laughing and then kisses me.  
"Let's wait to tell everyone." He says.  
"For Thanksgiving," I agree, nodding.  
He takes my hand and pulls me downstairs.  
"So...does this mean you can actually ride now? Because of last night?" Rye asks.  
"Yeah," I say.  
"How about all the children go ride?" Mom suggests. "And I mean everyone that came out of someone over the age of 29." She adds.  
Peeta begins to protest and I know now that he's going to be overprotective till I have the baby.  
"Okay," I say, walking out to the barn.  
I get on the same horse I was on last night, Angel.  
All the kids come out and hop on horses, Audrey, Madison, Ryan and Jacob standing there uncomfortable.  
I reach down to Audrey and hoist her up with me, Peeta getting Madison, Finn getting Ryan and Annie getting Jacob.  
Kaitlin looks hesitant.  
Johanna helps her into her horse.  
Audrey sits in front of me.  
"Who's leading the way?" Peeta asks.  
In answer, I tug the reins, making Angel gallop off.  
Audrey's screaming and laughing at the same time.  
I really want to find the end of the property, so I slow down to a walk, everyone joining me.  
"I'm going to the end." I say. They look shocked.  
"Are you crazy?" Jo says.  
"Apparently. Who's coming?" I ask.  
"Me," Peeta says without second thought.  
Everyone slowly agrees.  
"Anyone got their phone?" Annie asks.  
"I got mine," I say.  
With that, I tug the reins again, sending up flying.  
Two hours pass and we don't slow down at all.  
We pass the spot I was at last night and don't stop.  
We continue for a few more hours, probably five or six.  
I pull up on the reins when I see the end of the fence, my jaw dropping.  
"No way," I breath, everyone catching up with me.  
We all slowly creep forward.  
I shake Audrey awake, who has fallen asleep.  
"Hmm?" She whines, looking around.  
"Look," I whisper, pointing.  
Her eyes bulge.  
I climb off Angel and pull Audrey off.  
The second nothing is holding her back, she takes off towards the barn.  
I stare after her.  
I then decide I don't care and I turn my attention to what's behind the fence.  
There's a mountain in the distance.  
Our fence has a gate.  
I walk over and unlatch it.  
Everyone climbs off their horses.  
"Let's take a picture!" Jo says.  
"Who's gonna take it?" I ask.  
"Um..." Peeta looks around.  
"Oh, I've got it." I say, pulling my phone out and going to the automatic camera.  
I put the timer on one minute and then wave everyone over to the fence.  
We all get into position and wait.  
The light flashes and I run to my camera to look at the picture.  
It's so cute!  
"Aw! Look!" I toss my phone to Jo who smiles and shows it to everyone.  
"We should go back, it's starting to snow again and it's gonna get dark soon." Peeta says.  
We all get back on our horses, me on with Peeta and Audrey with Rye.  
And we head home.

**Okay, I'm skipping again.****  
****Review!****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	24. Chapter 24

**Herrre:**

It's Thanksgiving. We're all playing outside, the adults drinking and talking, all the guys playing a game of football.  
"Katniss, try this!" Jo says, holding her alcohol out to me.  
"I'm good," I say, shaking my head. No way am I drinking when I'm pregnant.  
"Oh! Yes!" Annie shouts her attention on the game.  
We all turn our attention to the game, Finn running with the ball, on the opposite team of Peeta.  
I lean forward, watching in anticipation.  
Peeta tackles Finn and gets the ball, taking off. Annie starts booing but I start cheering.  
Peeta scores and I start cheering, along with everyone else but Annie and the people routing for the other team.  
Mom and Mrs. Mellark comes out with a platter of snacks, setting them on the picnic table.  
It's been such a struggle to keep my whacked up emotions in tack and my eating habits down. Everyone has noticed and I know they're suspicious and probably concerned.  
The guys come over and start devouring the food, all the girls watching, disgusted.  
They laugh at the look on our faces, Peeta kissing my cheek.  
"Get away from me!" I say, setting back.  
"Why!" He laughs.  
"You're all sweaty and gross." I say.  
He rolls his eyes.  
"Well, I love you too." He says. Now it's my turn to roll my eyes.  
"We need some music out here! Seriously! What the fuck is this!" Jo says.  
"Go get the docking station from the living room then." I say. She walks off.  
I pull out my phone and go to Pandora and play P!nk radio.  
Jo comes back and I plug my phone into the docking station, blasting the music.  
"Fuck yeah!" Jo shouts.  
Audrey and Madison are playing in the grass with American girls.  
"Katnus!" Audrey screams.  
I walk over to her.  
"Yes?" I ask.  
"Will you help me?" She says, looking like she's gonna cry.  
Kaitlin, Lucas, and Stella are all doing gymnastics in the grass, Prim teaching Lauren the cup song.  
I'm over that video now. I watched it and its actually kind of funny.  
"With what?" I ask, sitting down.  
"Maddie took my dolly's shoes and she won't give them back!" She whines.  
"We have to share, sweetie." I say gently. "How about Madison gets the shoes for five minutes, and then you." I suggest.  
"But I want them now!" She whines.  
Maddie pouts.  
"We have to share," I repeat gently.  
"Fine!" Audrey says.  
I run my hand through her hair gently and go back to the adults.  
"No way!" I say. "This is my favorite fucking song!" I say.  
Jo and Annie snicker.  
"Great minds think alike." Jo says, high giving both of us. I start singing slut like you, Jo and Annie with me.

___I'm not a slut, I just love love___

_Tell me something new__  
__Cause I've heard this__  
__Okay I'll fuck you__  
__A little taste test__  
__You'll be my little friend__  
__You'll be my little friend__  
__You'll be my little friend___

_And they think we fall in love__  
__But that's not it__  
__Just want to get some__  
__Ain't that some sh*t__  
__You'll be my little friend__  
__You'll be my little friend__  
__You'll be my little friend__  
__Yeah, yeah yeah___

_I got a little piece of you-hoo__  
__And it's just like woo-hoo__  
__Wham Bam thank you Ma'am__  
__Boo-hoo__  
__I'm a slut like you__  
__You say you're looking for a foo-ool__  
__And I'm just like "me too"__  
__I'm gonna let ya know the truth__  
__I'm a slut like you___

_Sitting with my friends__  
__And we're picking who we might let in__  
__Them boys are starving__  
__They're just our little friend__  
__They're just our little friend__  
__They're just our little friend___

_Listen you little fucker__  
__You think you call the shots__  
__I just bought you some__  
__Drink up your ride's gone__  
__This might be fun__  
__You're now my little friend__  
__You're now my little friend__  
__You're now my little friend__  
__Yeah, yeah yeah___

_I got a little piece of you-hoo__  
__And it's just like woo-hoo__  
__Wham Bam thank you Ma'am__  
__Boo-hoo__  
__I'm a slut like you__  
__You say you're looking for a foo-ool__  
__And I'm just like "me too"__  
__I'm gonna let ya know the truth__  
__I'm a slut like you___

_You don't win a prize with your googly eyes__  
__I'm not a cracker jack__  
__You can't go inside__  
__Unless I let you Jack... or Sam__  
__F*ck what's your name again?__  
__You male come now__  
__You caveman sit down__  
__You shh don't ruin it, wow__  
__Check please___

_I, I've got a little piece of you__  
__And it's just like woo__  
__Wham Bam thank you Ma'am__  
__Boo-hoo__  
__I'm a slut like you__  
__Woo-hoo__  
__Looks like the joke's on you-hoo__  
__So go home and cry like boo-hoo__  
__I'm a slut like you___

_I got a little piece of you-hoo__  
__And it's just like woo-hoo__  
__Wham Bam thank you Ma'am__  
__Boo-hoo__  
__I'm a slut like you__  
__You say you're looking for a foo-ool__  
__And I'm just like "me too"__  
__I'm gonna let ya know the truth__  
__I'm a slut like you, slut like you___

  
When we're done, we're laughing.  
Peeta and Finn's eyes are black and completely bugged out.  
"Problem?" I call to them, snickering.  
They both stare at us.  
I snicker.  
"On a scale of one to ten, how bad do you wanna go upstairs right now?" Annie calls out.  
Everyone laughs except for the kids, who look confused.  
Both boys think for a while.  
"Infinite," Peeta says.  
"Agreed," Finn says, high diving Peeta.  
"Infinite times two!" Rye calls, eying me hungrily.  
Peeta glares at him and I can know from one glance at him that he's going to make Rye jealous.  
Jared's here too, with his girlfriend, Jordan. She has long black hair and blue eyes. She's really pretty.  
I hear the doorbell ring from inside.  
Prim grins and runs inside without a backwards glance at anyone.  
I run a hand through my hair.  
Rye looks like I'm driving him wild.  
And now Peeta's jealous and annoyed at Rye.  
He walks over to me, lifts me up and kisses me hungrily, wildly.  
I kiss him back, of course, but he's so sweaty it's disgusting.  
I pull away slowly.  
"You need to take a shower," I wrinkle my nose and everyone laughs, really hard.  
I jump off him.  
"Fine!" He turns around and walks into the house.  
"Maddie, time to switch," I call.  
She slides the shoes off her doll and gives them to Audrey.  
When Peeta comes back outside ten minutes later, his hair slightly damp, I start laughing when I remember a song that fits him and Finn's mood.  
"What's funny?" Rye calls.  
"I have a perfect song for your guy's moods!" I call, going to YouTube and type in "all over the road" by Easton Corbin.  
I blast the music and lean against the house, laughing as Peeta, and Finn's faces go red.  
I laugh harder.  
Annie and I start to dance inappropriately.  
The kids are all occupied and not paying attention.  
Peeta looks at Finn and they nod at one another.  
"You know," Peeta says when the song ends. "Paybacks a bitch," he whispers.  
I cross my arms.  
"You wouldn't dare." Annie says to Finn.  
"Oh, I think we both know, I would." Finn says.  
The adults watch intently.  
"Don't you dare," I hiss warningly.  
He trails his hand down the side of my body.  
"Why not?" He whispers, ducking down to kiss my neck gently. My heart starts to race.  
"Oh this is gonna be interesting." Rye says. "To see Katniss all needy!" He adds, elbowing Graham, Kegan and Justice. Everyone snickers.  
"Don't," I say, stepping back from Peeta.  
"Why not?" He repeats, his hand trailing down my front now, smirking when he passes my racing heart.  
Finn is doing the exact same to Annie.  
He runs his fingers through my hair, kissing right next to my mouth.  
Prim is back with her boyfriend, Cole.  
I put my hands on his chest and push.  
"Stop," I whisper. He snickers.  
"Why?" He asks, kissing my lips lightly.  
I glare at him.  
"I'm going to get the dining room ready." I say, walking off.  
I go into the house and start getting down plates, my hands sweating because I'm so nervous to tell the family.  
Eventually, everyone comes inside and they start to do things, the guys setting up the fold and girls watching the kids and setting the table.  
I put plates at every spot.  
"Someone needs to get the folding table from the garage!" I call.  
I hear the back door slam shut.  
I put napkins and everything at all the spots, Mom and Mrs. Mellark coming in with silverware.  
The guys come in with food and I start to set the kids table, since there's too many of us to sit all of us at the dining room table.  
Everyone comes in and sits down.  
We say grace and then dig in.  
We eat silently, Peeta and I occasionally exchanging looks across the table.  
His eyes flick to my stomach and I shrug. He wants to know when I'm telling them. He wants me to tell them.  
When we finish, we start to talk.  
"You know..." Rye says. "We've all been hiding it, but Katniss, what's been going on with you lately?"  
I furrow my eyebrows, acting confused.  
"What do you mean?" I ask.  
"Well..." Mom begins. "You've been very rude lately, or you cry a lot, and you sleep a lot, and you're always complaining your back hurts, or your boobs." She explains.  
I wipe my hands off on my jeans.  
"So you're saying I'm bipolar?" I ask.  
"She is not saying you're bipolar." Prim budges in.  
"She's simply saying your acting weird." Annie adds.  
I look at Peeta, who looks at my stomach at back at me.  
"Well..." I sigh loudly and shut my eyes. "I'm pregnant," I say, waiting a few seconds and then opening my eyes.  
Mom drops her fork, Mrs. Mellark grins, along with everyone else.  
Caleb shoots up.  
"I knew it! I've known since the day I got here!" He says.  
"Wait...I'm not convinced." Rye says. "You're not even showing." He says.  
"Yeah she is. She's just good at hiding it. She's going to be three months on the eleventh of December." Peeta says.  
"Well! Lift you shirt!" Mom orders.  
I sigh and stand up, lifting my shirt.  
"Shit! She is showing!" Finn says excitedly.  
"The moods, the eating, crying...overprotective Peeta." Annie says. "It all makes sense now."  
I drop my shirt and sit down.  
I pause.  
"I'm warning every one of you now, if you bring up Sara, I will fucking kill you." I warn. "I don't care if he's one day old. You are to keep your mouth shut about her, do you all understand?" Everyone nods.  
"Same goes for John," my dad, except I don't call him dad.  
They all nod again.  
"Now..." I cough. "How fast do you guys think we can plan a wedding?"  
They all look excited.  
"When do you want the wedding?" Mom asks.  
"In two weeks exactly." Peeta says.  
**  
****Okay, I'm skipping again. ****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	25. Chapter 25

**Here…again…**

I can't do this! I cannot do this!  
Let's be honest; I'm freaking out!  
I'm waiting with Haymitch, who agreed to walk me down the aisle.  
It's the big day. Audrey and Madison are the flower girls and Jacob and Ryan are the ring bearers, Jo, Allison, Prim, Lauren and Stella are the bridesmaids, Annie is the maid of honor, Jared is the best man, with the groomsmen as Rye, Graham, Kegan, Ethan and Justice. Annie is in a long beige dress, that's simple and strapless, her hair curled. The bridesmaids are in matching dresses but they are shorter, to a few inches above the knee. Audrey and Madison are in the same dress as the bridesmaids. All of them have on silver heels, except for Madison and Audrey, who have on silver sandals. I know all the guys are in tuxes, but I don't know what they look like.  
I haven't seen Peeta in 48 hours, because everyone insisted that we should wait two days to be extremely safe, instead of one, to 'follow tradition'.  
We're at the local church. Mom and Mrs. Mellark decided to invite my entire high school, along with Peeta's, not to mention everyone one of all our employees and our entire town. There are almost two thousand people, so the path I have to walk is really, really long.  
God, I'm gonna be sick, I think to myself.  
"Sweetheart!" Haymitch says, waving his hand in front of my face.  
I snap my eyes to his. "Let's go," he says carefully. I freeze.  
"I don't know if I can do this…" I whisper. I hear the crowd murmuring in confusion.  
"You can do this! This is Peeta we're talking about! You're carrying his child, you love him!" Haymitch says, keeping his voice down. I sigh.  
"You're right," I say.  
"Of course I'm right! This is me we're talking about!" he says. "Now let's get you hitched!" he says. I laugh nervously and let him link his arm through mine.  
"Just…don't let me fall." I whisper. He snickers.  
"I'm not making any promises," he says. He begins to tug me out, down the aisle.  
My dress is, really, really long. It's like a ball gown, strapless, beads from the waist up, the bottom layered and ruffled. My hair is curled like the girls, but parts are pulled back and twisted into complicated patterns, held together with diamonds.  
My heels are silver.  
I invited Plutarch too, and insisted that Allison be one of my bridesmaids.  
I lose my train of thought the second Peeta comes into view.  
He left his hair simple and curly, just the way I love it. He damn well better know I love it, considering how much I run my hands through it, whether we're making out, or just talking, or just walking past him. Not to mention how many times I've told him that I love his hair. His tux is completely black, and boy does it look sexy.  
I'm blushing like crazy, but it seems impossible for me to look away, or even blink.  
Haymitch places my hand in Peeta's, sending a shock through my entire body.  
"You hurt her; this child will be your last." Haymitch threatens darkly, not bothering to keep his voice down. A low chuckle spreads through the audience. Peeta and I roll her eyes.  
"I won't," Peeta promises.  
Haymitch moves to his position, and the entire place falls silent.  
"Ladies and gentleman," The priest begins.  
And of course, I being ADD forgot to take my medicine today, so I zone out, inspecting Peeta.  
His warm blue eyes, his freckles, his lips, his nose, everything.  
Peeta squeezes my hand and I blink multiple times. Everyone is watching me expectantly, Jo, Annie and Finn shaking with silent laughter.  
"What?" I ask, embarrassed. Everyone chuckles.  
"It's time to say you vows," the priest says. Peeta has humor in his eyes.  
I think for a minute.  
"Well…I didn't prepare anything." I say. Everyone chuckles again. "So…" I pause, thinking for a long time. "Peeta, there's so much I could say, so much time I could use, so I'm gonna have to cut it short." I say. "Everything about you is…perfect. Your laugh, your smile, your eyes, your hair, your personality…I honestly…"I sigh, struggling. He gets it. He smiles gently and squeezes my hand. "We have gone through some rough patches, we've broken up and some other things, but we've pulled through, and it's because of you. You make me smile, happy…you know all my buttons, you know all my intentions, whether they're good or bad and…I can't wait till this ceremony is over so I can kiss you." Everyone laughs again. "And…I love you." I say. Everyone looks at me. "That's all…"  
Peeta smiles.  
"Well…for starters, I love you too." I smile a little. I know I'm gonna cry; I was struggling not to cry when I was talking. "There's so much I could say too, like how I love when you laugh and smile, when you joke around and punch my arm, yelling at me when I don't pretend to be hurt," everyone laughs a little, my mom and his mom shaking with silent sobs. "When you sing, or the second someone leaves, you say 'thank god' and then strip down into your bra and underwear. How you love pretty little liars. The way you look when someone has food you want. You never notice, but I always make sure you get it." I grin. Yes I do notice, but I'm not going to butt in. "And I'm not going to lie when I say that sometimes, I purposely annoy you, because I think it's adorable when you're irritated. I love it when you dance to Pink and I love it when you fall asleep anywhere. I will still never forget that time I came home and you were asleep with your phone on your face. I lied to you and told you I had just gotten home, when I had really been there for an hour, just waiting to see if you were going to push it off you." he says. I blush and everyone laughs. "And…yeah, I just…can't wait to be able to call you my wife." He adds. He remains silent. I have tears streaming down my face, happy tears, obviously.  
He wipes them gently, his finger lingering on my cheek before he drops it, taking my hand again.  
"Katniss, if you would please repeat after me." the priest says. I look up at him. I know what to say already. "I, Katniss Everdeen"  
"I Katniss Everdeen," I repeat.  
"Take you, Peeta Mellark," he says.  
"Take you, Peeta Mellark," I repeat again.  
"To by my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward," he says.  
"To be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward," I repeat, looking at Peeta now.  
"For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part." He says.  
"For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part." I whisper.  
"Peeta, would you please repeat after me."  
Peeta repeats exact what I say, but saying his name instead of mine, then mine instead of his, then wife instead of husband.  
We exchange rings.  
"Do you, Katniss Everdeen, take Peeta Mellark to be your loftily wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?" the priest asks.  
"I do," I say, without hesitation.  
"And do you, Peeta Mellark, take Katniss Everdeen to be your loftily wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?" he asks, Peeta this time.  
"I do," Peeta says confidently.  
"For as much as Katniss and Peeta have consented together in wedlock, and have pledged to be betrothed, one to the other, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, Peeta, you may kiss your bride."  
Again, without hesitation, Peeta takes my face in his hands and kisses me.  
Finally!  
The crowd erupts in cheers when we break apart, out hands linked.  
"Ladies and gentlemen," the priest begins to raise his voice over the noise, which quiets down. "It is with great pleasure; I introduce you, for the first time as husband and wife, Katniss and Peeta Mellark." He finishes.  
Family swarms us, the crowd cheering, kissing our cheeks and hugging us, almost all of them crying.  
Mom hugs me, and then Prim. Then they get the awesome idea of a group hug. And then I'm squished in the middle next to Peeta.  
I groan loudly.  
"Hello!" I say. "Squished pregnant lady here!" They all laugh and move.  
"Well lets go!" Mom says.  
They also won't allow us to ride in the same car to the reception.  
I give Peeta a loving kiss and then glare at my mother as she pulls me away, all the girls behind me.  
We get in the limo and all of us sit down.  
"I still don't see why I can't ride with Peeta." I complain.  
"Katniss, we've explained a hundred times! We don't want you two having sex in the limo! It's extremely disrespectful and you may not be ready to get out!" Mom explains.  
"So!" I say. "If I want to have sex with my fianc-husband, I'm aloud to!" I'm smiling when I'm done with the sentence. Husband, not fiancé.  
Peeta's my husband. My last name is Mellark.  
I bite my lip, blushing, my eyebrows raised in happiness.  
"Aw!" Annie says.  
I start crying, burying my head into my hands.  
"Those better be happy tears." Mom says.  
"Of course they're happy tears!" I burst.  
"I know it's a lot to comprehend." Mom says, rubbing my back.  
I'm really showing now. I mean, I was really showing before, but now I'm showing more, especially since I know the baby is in there.  
"But it's okay-" I cut her off with a loud gasp, sitting up, my hands flying to my stomach, my eyes wide.  
"Oh my god!" I say breathlessly.  
"What! What's wrong?" Mom asks, frantic.  
I keep my hands on my stomach.  
Yes! I was right! The baby moved!  
"Katniss what's wrong!" Mrs. Mellark says.  
I grab my mom's hand and press it to my stomach.  
She stays silent, everyone's faces filled with worry.  
Did the baby move? He doesn't move again.  
Peeta has himself convinced the baby's a girl, but I think it's a boy.  
Did I just imagine it.  
The limo stops and we all look out the window.  
We're here.  
"Your mascaras running and you're crying." Mom says.  
Did I imagine it?  
Mom moves her hand and I put mine where he's just was.  
He moves.  
I burst out of the car.  
Peeta's talking with the guys.  
The girls get out behind me, all worried.  
I walk right over to Peeta, the guys resuming their conversations with the girls.  
"What's wrong? What happened?" He asks frantically.  
In answer, I grab his hand and press it to my stomach.  
He furrows his eyebrows in confusion.  
"What's wrong?" He asks.  
The baby kicks and he gasps.  
"Oh my god!" He says. "She moved!" He says.  
I nod excitedly.  
"But why were you crying?" He asks worriedly.  
"Because I'm so happy." I whisper, biting my lip and bouncing on the balls of my feet.  
He kisses me gently and I tangle my fingers in his hair, because I love his curls so much.  
We begin to make out frantically.  
"Hence the reason you didn't get to be together in the limo!" Rye says.  
He both pull apart and flick him off, sticking our tongues out. Jo takes a picture and we both start laughing.  
"Katniss, come here," Mom says.  
"No," I say.  
She grabs my hand and pulls me away anyways, inside.  
She takes me right to the women's bathroom and starts scrubbing all the makeup off my face, all the girls joining us.  
She thrusts a white dress that's lace at the bottom and just simple white at the top into my hands with a thong.  
"No bra," she says, unzipping me and then ushering me into the bathroom stall.  
I slip out of the wedding dress, changing into the thong, pulling the bra off my aching boobs.  
I slide the dress on, grab my bra and underwear and walk out of the stall.  
Annie and Jo go in and bag my wedding dress.  
Mom opens a bag for my bra and underwear while Prim zips me up.  
I take off the silver heels and put on white ones.  
Mom start to take the diamond out of my hair, handing them to Mrs. Mellark.  
She undoes the braids and then runs her fingers through the extremely curly hair.  
She looks down at her phone.  
"Okay, let's go." She adjusts my hair and points to the girl.  
I walk out, all natural. My hair is down and curly and I have not a spot of makeup on.  
Peeta's in a simple blue button down shirt and black slacks. He still looks so sexy.  
Every time we touch, by Cascada is on.  
He's talking, so he doesn't see me.  
I raise my eyebrows when I see that the "amazing DJ" Mom and Mrs. Mellark got, is Rye and Graham.  
Oh this should be fun.  
The guys all fall silent and Jared cuts off his conversation with Peeta.  
He says something and Peeta turns around, his eyebrows raising and his eyes widening.  
I blush and look down.  
The girls scatter, and the next time I look up, it's because he's standing right in front of me.  
"You look flawless," he whispers.  
"First dance!" Rye says. "Kat, Peet, go to the dance floor."  
"What a wonderful DJ," I whisper. Peeta snickers and takes my hand, pulling me to the middle of the dance floor.  
They start the song and I gasp.  
Peeta grins and pulls me against him.  
It's Love song, by P!nk.

I've never written a love song  
That didn't end in tears  
Maybe you'll rewrite my love song  
If you can replace my fears  
I need your patience and guidance  
And all your lovin' and more  
When thunder rolls through my life  
Will you be able to weather the storm?  
There's so much I would give ya, baby

I place my hands awkwardly on his shoulders.  
"You know I don't have any clue how to dance, right?" I ask.  
He laughs and moves my hands so they're around his neck.  
"Now just let me guide you," he whispers.  
"I think the baby has already picked favoritism," I whisper to Peeta, making sure to keep my voice extra low.  
"And why's that?" He asks gently.  
"Well..." I whisper. "When I felt him kick, I put my hand on my belly and he kicked. I freaked out and put my moms hand to my belly and he didn't kick, then he kicked for me again, and then you." I say. "So I think he only likes both of us." He snickers.  
"You mean she?" He asks.  
I glare at him, annoyed.  
He laughs gently.  
"I love it when you're angry," he says. "You're so adorable," he adds softly. "But she likes mommy and daddy," he adds.  
"He," I correct.  
"She," he says. I huff and he laughs and kisses my lips gently. "I'm only playing, baby." He whispers sweetly.  
He spins me around at the right time and then pulls me flush against him, me clinging to him, gasping.  
"How did you learn to do that?" I ask.  
"I used to watch a ton of movies." He whispers.  
"Oh...well I can't dance, simply because I didn't ever have anyone to teach me." I say, gasping as he dips me and then spins me around again.  
"Okay, you're making me nauseous." I say. He laughs.  
"Okay, I'll stop." He gives me a loving kiss and continues to lead the way through the dance moves. "Oh, and Katniss?" He whispers, his lips connecting with my neck for a moment.  
"Hmm?" I moan.  
He laughs quietly.  
"You have me to teach you to dance." He murmurs.

This is my very first love song  
That didn't end in tears  
I think you re-wrote my love song  
For the rest of my years  
I will love you for the rest of my life

"Okay, now...we have a video." Rye says. "So go sit down,"  
Everyone moves around to get a seat, all of them purposely leaving one seat left.  
I roll my eyes and allow Peeta to pull me down to his lap.  
Haymitch pulls down a board from the ceiling and presses a button on an overhead.  
"I have a feeling this is going to be extremely embarrassing," I whisper in Peeta's ear.  
"You just read my mind," he whispers back.  
Music starts playing. "Katniss and Peeta, age 0-6" the board reads.  
"Oh god," I whine.  
The first picture is a picture of Peeta, red and naked, still attached to the umbilical cord.  
I laugh and Peeta moans and buries his head in my back.  
He looks up for the next picture, which is me, looking exactly the same. My face heats up.  
The next picture is me in a onesie, still in the hospital, and then Peeta sitting in my Mom's lap, Mrs. Mellark sitting in the bed in front of her. We're staring at one another.  
The next picture causes me to bury my head in my hands, blushing like crazy.  
Both of us are in Mrs. Mellark's lap. Me however...I'm sleeping with my head on Peeta's shoulder, holding his hand.  
Peeta snickers and rubs my back.  
Then the next picture, isn't a picture, it's a video, and both of us are at least a year old.  
They all look at us for a second and then press play.  
We're arguing over a toy, both of us screaming gibberish that nobody can understand.  
Eventually, I shove Peeta and take off down the hallway with the toy.  
"Jesus Katniss!" Rye says, the entire room laughing.  
The video is still playing though.  
Peeta is now crying as he chases after me.  
I start to crawl up the stairs.  
"John where's the gate!" My mom shouts in the background, running forward and grabbing me.  
"It's in the garage," my father calls.  
"Well get off your ass and get it!" Mom calls.  
"Ass?" Baby me asks.  
Everyone's jaws drop.  
"No way!" Mrs. Mellark says in the background. "Katniss's first word!"  
"You just taught our eleven month old the word ass?" Dad demands, coming in with the gate.  
Mom sets me down and then runs upstairs, crying.  
We're all hysterically laughing.  
"You taught me to say ass?" I call to my mom.  
"I didn't mean to!" She says defensively.  
Peeta's hysterical.  
The video stops and the thing changes to me at my first birthday party.  
My entire face is covered in cake and I'm screaming.  
Then the picture changes to me eating the cake with it all over my face.  
The next picture is a video, to which Haymitch presses play.  
It's Peeta's second birthday and we're at the park.  
He's staring at the cake. But then I sneak up behind him, shove his face into his, take a handful and run off. You can hear all of Peeta's family's laughter in the background.  
"Katniss!" Mother scolds, running after me. She begins to scold me and I start screaming.  
We all see Peeta look at me, and then actual concern shows in his eyes as he climbs down from the bench and walks over to me.  
"Whatsamatter?" He asks in a baby voice, raising his hands in the air and dropping them. He still has cake all over his face.  
I stare at him through my tears for a long time and then swipe my finger across his cheek, bringing it to my lips. I giggle and Peeta hugs me.  
"No cry!" He says.  
The video ends and I'm actually crying again. I turn to Peeta.  
"Even back at two years old you were so nice to me!" I say.  
He smiles and wipes my tears.  
"Of course I was!" He says.  
The next slide is a video. I see Mom, Mrs. Mellark and all the other adults smirking at us.  
Haymitch presses play. We're three years old now.  
"Want?" Peeta asks in his baby voice, holding a toy out to me.  
I gasp and take the toy.  
Both me and Peeta's jaws drop at what happens next.  
I hug him and then pull away and kiss him...right on the lips.  
"Oh my god!" I say.  
"Pause it!" Mom calls.  
Haymitch pauses the slideshow and Mom walks up onto the stage.  
"Here we go," I say under my breath. Both Peeta and I know what's coming.  
"This is what started our theory that you two were going to get married." Mom says. "And we teased you guys about it but I'm serious when I say we all didn't think it was gonna happen." She explains. "Actually, we were all terrified you two were gonna break up and your relationship would be destroyed. But the day you two come home and a ring was on Katniss' finger...I don't know. We were kind of terrified you guys would call it off." She adds. "But now..." She starts crying. "You two are...just so perfect for each other! I am so happy for you guys!" She walks off the stage, in a mess of tears.  
"Well they're supportive," I grumble.  
We finish the slideshow, have dinner and then listen to music, a ton of people dancing.  
I'm tired though, and I don't feel like dancing.  
Peeta sits across from me, playing with my hand.  
"Dance with me?" He asks when a slow song comes on.  
I don't want to deny him anything.  
"Okay," I say, standing up.  
I allow him to pull me to the dance floor.  
I wrap my arms around his neck, resting my head on his chest.  
I can't wait to take him home and rip his clothes off.  
He pulls me against his, gliding us effortlessly across the dance floor, everyone around us.  
"Can I?" Finn asks.  
I lift my head.  
Peeta nods and releases me.  
"Don't get too attached now," he says. Finn laughs.  
"No promises," he teases.  
Peeta kisses my cheek and then walks off.  
"I can't dance," I warn Finn as I wrap my arms around his neck.  
"Me either," he grins and moves around awkwardly.  
We're quiet for a bit.  
"I can't believe your married," he whispers.  
"Me either," I say.  
"What's it feel like?" He asks.  
I think for a long time.  
"I can't explain it. It's incredible." I say.  
When the song ends, I go back to Peeta.  
"Dance again?" He asks hopefully.  
I let out a puff of hair and nod, sighing and standing up.  
He pauses and sits back down, tugging me onto his lap.  
"Never mind," he says.  
"Why not?" I really, really don't want to dance. I'm exhausted an my back hurts, but he wants to dance so I'm going to dance.  
I stand up.  
"Let's go dance," I say.  
"Katniss you're exhausted," he says.  
"No I'm not," I say.  
He rolls his eyes.  
"Yes you are, and your back hurts." He says.  
I frown.  
"No it's doesn't," I lie.  
He stands up.  
"Yes it does. Your lying because you want me to be happy. Well I'm not happy with you in pain, so let's just sit here." He says, tugging my hand and then pulling a chair up so I'm sitting directly in front of him.  
He's thinking hard about something, but to be honest, I am too.  
He plays with my hands for a long time.  
"What would you do..." He begins. "If I told you I was thinking about teaching art at the high school...?" He asks. "I already have a teacher degree." He adds carefully. I grin slowly starts to spread across my lips.  
"You have no idea how creepy that is." I say excitedly.  
"What's creepy?" He asks.  
I move closer to him and take his hands, kissing him fiercely, pulling away before we both can't stop.  
"That you just read my mind," I say breathlessly.  
"We can talk about his later," he says, kissing me hungrily again.  
I moan quietly and force myself away.  
"If you don't stop..." I warn breathlessly. "Then I won't be able to. I want to rip your clothes off right now."  
"When the fuck is this thing over?" He asks angrily, breathlessly, looking around.  
I start to look around too and then get up and march across the dance floor, to my mother on the other side, who is talking with Mrs. Mellark.  
"Mom!" I interrupt loudly. Both of them look up and then they both smile.  
"Yes dear?" Mom asks sweetly.  
"When the hell is this thing over?" I demand.  
"Why? Are you not enjoying yourself?" Mom asks frantically.  
"It's not that," I say, lowering my voice.  
"Then what is it, dear?" Mrs. Mellark asks.  
I fidget for a moment.  
"I'm tired of waiting..." I say quietly.  
"Waiting for what?" Mom asks.  
I fidget some more.  
"Waiting to get Peeta's clothes off!" I whisper hoarsely.  
They both stare at me for a moment and then burst out laughing.  
"We still have another hour." Mrs. Mellark says.  
"An hour!" I burst loudly, lowering my voice when people near us look at us.  
"Yes, an hour." Mom says through hysterical laughter.  
"Give me the fucking key to the bathroom so I can lock the door." I say.  
They laugh harder.  
I huff and spin on my heel, storming back to Peeta and throwing myself down in my chair.  
He's talking with Jared and his girlfriend, Jordan.  
I don't intrude, instead I walk over to Audrey and Madison, who are sitting in a corner, playing patty cake.  
"Katnus!" Audrey squeals.  
I smile and sit down next to them, sitting on my feet so I'm not flashing anybody.  
I feel my baby squirm.  
"Hi girls," I say, running one hand through Audrey's blond curls and one through Maddie's brown curls.  
My baby squirms again.  
"You wanna feel something weird?" I ask.  
They both nod, their mouth in O's. they're so adorable.  
I take Audrey's hand and press it to my stomach.  
We wait a bit and then the baby squirms and Audrey screams and rips her hand away.  
"What was that!" She asks, crying.  
I laugh and open my arms, which so climbs into.  
"That was a baby," I say.  
"In your tummy?" She whimpers.  
I wipe her tears, not caring that almost everyone is watching us silently.  
"Yes. And in six months, that baby will be outside me tummy." I say.  
"Lemme feel!" Madison says excitedly.  
I grab her hand and press it to my stomach.  
We all wait, Audrey's hand on my belly again, along with Madison's.  
the baby remains still.  
I press my hand to my belly, one on top of Maddie's and the other on top of Audrey's.  
We wait some more and then I feel the baby kick me in the stomach and they both gasp.  
"Can I talk to the baby? Can the baby hear me?"  
I think almost everyone is watching us now, all smiling.  
"You can talk to the baby if you wanna." I say.  
Audrey grins and moves, whispers something.  
I smile, not really caring everyone is watching us.  
She moves away and then Madison start to whisper.  
I watch them. They're so cute.  
"What'd you say?" I whisper when she's done.  
"I said that I'm gonna give him tons of cookies and ice cream and he's gonna play with me and we're gonna be best friends." Audrey says.  
"I said that I'm gonna give him chips and milkshakes and he's going to be me and Audrey's slave and he's gonna clean my room for me, just like I do for Ethan!" Maddie says.  
Aunt Annabella rounds on Ethan.  
"Your letting your four year old sister clean your room for her!" She says. Then Aunt Annabella and Uncle Bryon start to scold him.  
"But doesn't the baby have his own room to clean?" I ask. "Do you like cleaning Ethan's room?" I ask.  
"No but Ethan says if I don't clean his room he's gonna tell Mommy and Daddy that I ate the last cookie!" They round on Ethan again.  
"But don't you have to clean your own room? Why would you want to clean up someone else's mess?" I ask gently. She frowns.  
"Because I don't want to get in trouble for taking the last cookie!" She whispers.  
"Honey, I don't think you're gonna get in trouble for taking the last cookie." I say, smiling.  
"Really?" She asks hopefully.  
"Really, just don't do it again." I say. She nods.  
"Okay! I won't! I promise!" She says excitedly.  
I laugh gently and kiss her head.  
"Katnus?" Audrey asks. I look up at her. "Is the baby going to be like me, or like Ethan?" She asks.  
I'm confused at what she means for a second, but then it clicks.  
"We don't know yet. I think it's gonna be a boy-"  
"But it's not. It's gonna be a girl." Peeta interjects, sitting down next to me.  
"He thinks it's gonna be a girl." I say.  
"I know it's gonna be a girl." He says.  
"But I still think it's going to be a boy." I say, irritation edged into my voice.  
"Nope, nope, nope. It's gonna be a girl. I just know it." He says.  
"Well I think it's gonna be a boy!" Audrey says.  
"Me too!" Maddie agrees excitedly.  
"Ha!" I say. Peeta rolls his eyes.  
"It's gonna be hilarious when you're wrong." He says.  
"Oh, I won't be wrong." I say.  
We begin to bicker over the sex of the baby again. My anger quickly soars and I eventually stop answering him.  
Audrey and Madison awkwardly get up and walk away.  
Peeta stands up and holds his hand out to me. I debate not taking it, but this is our wedding night and I'm not gonna fuck it up, so I take it and allow him to pull me up.  
"Listen," he says when the music starts back up. "I still want a boy just as much as I want a girl, but I just think it's a girl. Please just...don't let this ruin tonight." He begs.  
I sigh and kiss him and then hug him.  
"Nothing is going to ruin tonight," I whisper into his neck.  
"Good," he whispers, placing soft kisses on my neck.  
He sigh quietly.  
"I love you," I whisper.  
"I love you too," he murmurs.  
"Hey, we've only got this place for five more minutes, so let's finish this up with two more slow songs." Graham says.  
Peeta looks at me hopefully and I nod.  
He grins and takes my hand, pulling me to the dance floor.  
I wrap my arms around his neck and allow him to glide me all around.  
The baby starts kicking the crap out of both of us, and we both grin.  
"You have no idea how weird that feels." I whisper.  
He laughs gently.  
"So...what happens now?" He asks after a moment.  
"With what?" I ask.  
"Us. What do we do? We're married now." He says.  
I pull away from his neck.  
"Well first..." I whisper. "Start off with removing this..." I fiddle with his tie. "And this." I tug his shirt. "And then maybe this," I look down at my dress. "And then everything else on our bodies." I say. His eyes immediately go dark. I'm still fiddling with his tie. "And then..." I think for a moment. "We do that a ton of more times." He laughs. "And then we should probably go to the doctors for our mini us." He smiles gently. "And then we should talk about that teaching thing." I say.  
He's silent for a moment, moving us around the dance floor easily.  
"Can I ask you something?" He asks nervously. I nod. "Do you even want a girl? Like...if we had a girl...would you even love her?" He asks nervously.  
"Of course. You know, it's like you said. I still want a girl just as much as I want a girl, but I think it's a boy." I say. He sighs.  
"Good...I just thought..." He trails off. "Never mind,"  
"No, what were you gonna say?" He knows I hate when people do that. They start to say something and then cut off. It's so irritating.  
He sighs.  
"I was nervous that...if we had a girl...you'd leave me and her alone..." He says. "But then I realized you would never do that." He adds very quickly. He still needs reassurance.  
I lean in and lock our lips, kissing him heavily.  
I pull away after a minute or two.  
"I will never leave, cross my heart." I whisper breathlessly.  
"I know," he whispers.  
The first song ends, and we go into the second one.  
He spins me around and then pulls me back into his chest.  
"Actually, we only have the DJ station for a minute or so more, we still have the place itself for another hour." Rye corrects himself.  
"I'm about ready to just take you into the fucking bathroom and-" I begin loudly, angry.  
"Shhh!" Peeta shushes me hurriedly. "You're going to kill me!"  
I roll my eyes and kiss him again, hungrily. He pulls away.  
"Stop!" He hisses under his breath.  
"Why?" I ask, kissing him again.  
He pulls away again.  
"Because your killing me and I want so badly to take off this dress in the middle of this dance floor and-"  
"Okay, time for speeches." Rye says.  
I let go of Peeta, allowing him to pull me to a table.  
We sit down, everyone that's immediate family around us. Meaning Mom and Prim, Mrs. Mellark, Mr. Mellark, Rye and Graham.  
I sigh and rest my head on the table. My back is absolutely killing me.  
Peeta starts to rub the spot he knows hurts.  
I hear the loud clearing of the throat in a microphone and I force myself to sit up. It's Prim.  
"Well mom said she already said everything she had to say earlier, so I guess it's my turn." She says shyly. Prim has stage freight. She hates being center of attention at all. Did I mention she was held back anyways? She's still a senior in high school, and they're holding her back again. She's going through a tough time and I feel bad for her. "Well...I honestly have no clue what to say. I guess...you two are the most perfect for each other. It's adorable sometimes, but other times its annoying. Sure, you've been through some really, really rough patches, but what amazes me is you guys always manage to pull through. And I'm just gonna say this; almost all of us in this room has seen what you two are like without one another, and we all know what you two would probably end up doing if you broke up...so don't break up. And if you do, we're going to force you back together anyways."  
How positive.  
"So uh...yeah," she walks off the stage, sitting down awkwardly in her seat.  
Rye hops up and walks to the stage.  
"I'll start off by saying I'm a bit jealous of my baby bro for getting such a hot wife." He begins. Both Peeta and I roll our eyes. "But I respect that. Sure, sometimes I may piss both of you off, Katniss especially, but it's because I love you. Peeta, you're my little brother and I feel it's my job to piss you off. And same with you, Kat. Your my sister now, not that you weren't before. I can promise you that the taunting will only get worse. And when the baby GIRL is born, I say that she gets spoiled so bad that she can't possibly get put down, because she grew up so happy, getting whatever she wants whenever she wants it." Rye says.  
"Boy!" Graham calls.  
"Yeah! It's a boy!" I call.  
"Here we go," Peeta says under his breath.  
The three of us start to bicker, cutting off suddenly when Mr. Mellark slams his fist down on the table, shooting me, Rye and Graham a warning look.  
I huff and cross my arms, sitting back.  
"Well that's all I have to say." Rye says shortly, going back to his seat and then cross his arms, glaring at me. I glare right back.  
Peeta tugs my hand.  
"Stop," he says gently.  
I sigh loudly and look at him.  
"Stop," he repeats, kissing me gently.  
When he pulls away, I sigh.  
"Your right," I whisper, only audible to him. "I'm sorry,"  
"It's okay," he says softly.  
Graham gets up.  
"I have no clue what I'm supposed to say." He says. "But actually...this whole sex of the baby thing is getting intense. I wanna make a bet." He says.  
For some reason, I get pissed.  
My child is not something you can just bet on like a fucking horse race.  
"No!" I burst, pissed. "It's a baby! Not some horse race you can just bet on!"  
Everyone falls silent.  
"Oh come on! The baby will never have to know." Graham argues.  
"No. You're not betting on the baby." Peeta says, standing up.  
"Why! It's not even going to know!" He says.  
It.  
Oh hell no.  
My eyes go black and my expression hardens.  
"It?" I ask.  
"She's pissed!" Justice hisses.  
"Uh..." Graham asks, terrified.  
"Did you just call the baby 'it?'." I snarl.  
"I...uh-" Graham coughs. "The baby..." He stutters.  
Oh how bad I want to cut him up and-  
Peeta grabs my hand and I look up at him. His eyes are begging me to drop it for now. I hesitate and then sigh loudly.  
"Your off the hook." I say. Relief floods his face. "For now. But I will get you back." I say.  
I throw myself back in my chair and remain silent.  
"Well uh..." He struggles to remain his though process. "What Rye said." He goes back to his seat.  
Mrs. And Mr. Mellark get up.  
"Well...I personally don't care the sex of the baby, as long at the child," Mrs. Mellark pointedly makes sure not to call the baby 'it' "is healthy and happy," she says.  
"Me too," Mr. Mellark pitches in.  
I throw my hands onto the table and then let them slam down onto my lap.  
"Thank you, at least someone agrees with me." I mutter.  
"Hey! What about me?" Peeta asks. I roll my eyes.  
"I know you agree with me." I say.  
He laughs.  
We sit silently as everyone finishes their speeches.  
Peeta kisses my head and gets up.  
I want him to stay with me! Where is he going!  
He walks onto the stage and I realize what he's doing.  
"Katniss...there's honestly so much I could say. Like how beautiful you look right now." He begins.  
I blush. Oh Peeta, when are you not charming?  
"Or how much I love your eyes." He adds. "But I think the most important is how much I love you. If you waited till dark on a clear night and counted all the starts and then multiplied that by Infiniti...well...that wouldn't even be close." Everyone looks in awe at his way with words, but to me, us, that means so much more. That's what I told him the day I came home from being taken when he asked how much I love him. I sniff. Yes, I am crying again. "And I honestly can't tell you how..." He pauses, searching for the correct word. "Jubilant I am that I get to spend the rest of my life with you." He says. He looks like he's done, so I fly out of my chair and right onto the stage, into his arms.  
The audience breaks into cheers and he spins me around, our lips never parting until I start to get nauseous and I pull away, him immediately setting me down. Of course I'm crying.  
He wipes my tears.  
"Oh my god!" I whisper. "I love you, I love you, I love you!" I say repeatedly.  
He waits till I'm done speaking to hop of the stage, lifting me off instead if letting me use the stairs.  
I guess that's it?  
People bid us congratulations and then leave, some of them family members.  
Allison walks over to me.  
"Come here, I have to talk to you." She grabs my arm and Peeta's arm and pulls us to the family bathroom.  
"What?" I demand.  
"Listen..." She says. "How would you like it if I was your nurse for the baby, and I did the delivery?" She asks. I raise my eyebrows.  
"Seriously?" I ask. I would like it much better if I knew my nurse and knew I could trust them, like I can with Allison.  
"Yeah," she says.  
I look at Peeta and he shrugs.  
"You're the one pregnant." He says.  
Which means he's cool with whatever.  
"Okay," I say.  
"But there's one problem." She says. "You're gonna have to come to me once a month till your eight months. I'll come to you and stay with you...if that's okay, till you have the baby." She says.  
"Where are we going to go if we have to come to you?" I ask nervously, even though I already know the answer.  
"You already know," she says.  
I have to go to the hospital I stayed at for four months, in New York. I swallow nervously and look at Peeta. He reassures me with his eyes.  
"Okay," I say.  
"Do you want to just keep it the eleventh?" She asks. I nod. "But come to me sometime this month though, I'm there every day except for Christmas and Christmas Eve. Just call and I'll make sure everything ready." She says.  
"Okay..." I say.  
She pats my shoulder and walks out.  
Well I've just hit another bump in the road, haven't I?  
**  
****So they're married, the baby kicked, Graham wants to make a bet on the sec of the baby, Graham is under threats of Katniss, who is going to eventually get revenge for calling the baby "it" they're going to be teachers and now Katniss has to go back to the hospital/rehab she stayed at when she was cray cray.****  
****Well that escalated quickly...****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	26. Chapter 26

**There's a MAJOR plot twist in this chapter hehe**

I really don't think I can do this.  
The paparazzi are FOLLOWING us. It's December 20th, around two weeks after the wedding and we're going to the hospital for the doctor's appointment.  
The paparazzi are following us through New York City and I'm trying as hard as I can not to freak out and punch everyone that walks past me in the face.  
Apparently the entire world thought I was dead, because everyone in our town kept it under lock and key, not even telling their family members.  
And now that I've been spotted, someone took a picture of me and Peeta, me pregnant, walking through the street towards the hospital, which is a good few miles away still. And since they posted the picture on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, the media is right on my ass and I'm trying my best not to kill somebody, everybody, except Peeta, for getting too close to me.  
I tighten my grip on Peeta's hand.  
We pass the alley that Sara took me out of the car at and I bite my lip.  
"I'm going insane," I say to Peeta.  
He doesn't say anything; he just rubs small circles on the back of my hand.  
We pass Sara's house and I know my feet are probably right underneath the closet. My grip on his hand goes deathly and a tear slips out of my cheek, panic flooding through my veins when I see the blinds move.  
I pick up the pace.  
"What's wrong?" Peeta asks. I turn right into the doorway of the hospital, ripping the door open.  
I'm going insane and I'm fighting a flashback.  
I walk up to the receptionist. I remember her.  
"Hey Kate, I need Allison, right now." I say  
Peeta looks concerned when he sees I'm crying.  
"Just go to your old room." She says, patting my shoulder.  
I take off down the hallway, Peeta struggling to keep up  
I turn down tons of hallways, going to the room that used to say "Everdeen, Katniss" on the door.  
I burst inside and Allison looks up.  
"Oh god," she says. "Sit down,"  
I sit on the bed.  
"What's bugging you?" She asks gently, shutting the door.  
"We passed her house and-" I cut off, taking a deep breath, wiping the sweat on my hands off on my jeans. "I swear I saw the blinds move. She's back, I know she's back and she's gonna find me and Peeta and the baby and she's gonna get us all and-"  
"She is in rehab in another country, Kat. I think your hallucinating." She says gently.  
"No. I know what I saw!" I say loudly.  
"No you don't," she says calmly.  
Plutarch walks in without knocking.  
"He'll believe me!" I say. "I passed Sara's house and I saw the blinds move." I say.  
He stares at me for a minute and then scratches his beard.  
"You're hallucinating," he says. "There is no way someone is in the house. There's like twenty locks on the door." He says.  
"Her car was gone from the alley!" I say.  
"Because we towed it out and destroyed it. She's in another country on the other side of the world with a rehab doctor that hardly speaks English. She's not back." He says.  
I look at Peeta, who is leaning against the wall with a look of sadness and pain on his face, his hands shoved in fists in his pockets.  
"Peeta?" I ask, hoping he'll tell me I'm right. He sighs softly.  
"I don't know." He says. He pauses. "Fine, I think you're hallucinating." He says.  
I let out a scream.  
"I'm not hallucinating!" I shout. They don't tell me to keep my voice down. Every singe of these rooms are soundproof, for exactly this reason.  
"Yes you are," Allison says gently.  
"No I'm not!" I shout.  
The baby kicks my stomach; probably telling to me shut the heck up. I ignore.  
"I know what I saw!" I shout again.  
"Katniss-" Peeta begins.  
"I'm telling you right now-" I cut off when Allison picks up a needle off the shelf, the one that contains medicine that puts you to sleep.  
"Stop shouting or I'll do it." She says calmly.  
I huff and bite the inside of my cheek.  
They're all silent for a while.  
I take deep breaths until I'm completely calm again.  
"Okay. I'm fine." I say.  
Allison claps her hands.  
"Okay! Let's get started!" She says.  
Plutarch coughs awkwardly and leaves.  
"Lift your shirt," she says, fiddling with machines.  
I lift it up and lay down.  
"How does this work?" I ask as Peeta moves next to me.  
"Well..." Allison starts, pouring some goo on my stomach, making me hiss from how cold it is. "I put this stuff on you, move this around on your stomach, and look for a baby, which is obviously in there." She rolls her eyes and presses the wand thing to my stomach.  
I sit still, the baby kicking me angrily.  
Allison pauses and pulls away.  
"I forgot to so something." She says. "Katniss, you know the rules." She holds her hand out for something, and it takes a moment for it to click.  
I reach over and dig in Peeta's pocket, getting both my phone and his.  
I plant them in her hand an she sets them down.  
"Okay," she says, pressing the wand to me once again.  
She moves it around and both Peeta and I stare intensely at the screen. A soft thump fills the room and Allison looks a bit perplexed, but she says nothing.  
The baby appears on the screen, and I feel myself grow confused. The baby is big.  
Peeta doesn't look confused, but Allison does. She looks panicked.  
She coughs.  
"I'll be right back." She sets the wand down and walks out of the room.  
Peeta now looks confused. Both of us are silent for a while.  
"Is there any way you were raped by a guy when Sara took you?" He whispers, looking depressed.  
"Not a chance," I say. "I swear on my life." He looks up at me and searches my eyes. We both know I'm not a great liar, so there's no way I'm lying now.  
My birthday.  
Panic overwhelms me.  
"My birthday," I whisper.  
He looks up at me.  
"Peeta...this doesn't make sense. I'm way to big to be three and a half months and I'm way to far along to be three and a half months. But I am the exact size to be seven and a half months. Which means I was pregnant when Sara took me and put in the venom..."  
I didn't even notice Allison in the doorway.  
"Your right," she says, wiping off the gel. "I need you two to stay here. Amuse yourselves." She hands me my old rubix cube and walks out.  
I lower my shirt.  
"So your telling me, that that sex we had on your birthday...that's..."  
He sighs.  
We both remain silent. I don't respond; there's no need. We both know the truth of what's happened.

...

Hours pass, and Allison comes back once to take some blood. She assures us everything is going to be okay, and then she leaves again.  
I want so badly to cry, but it's like I can't feel anything.  
A few more hours pass, and it must be around 10 at night and I'm starving.  
Allison comes back and gives us both food and then leaves again.  
I force myself to eat, for the baby, is she/he is healthy.  
I put my tray on the rack next to my bed. Peeta's sitting in front of me.  
Allison comes back with a clipboard.  
"Anything?" I ask hopefully.  
She nods and shuts the door.  
"I want you two to promise me not to speak a single word unless you have a question." She says.  
"Promise," I say, tears in my eyes, that have been there all day.  
"Okay...where to start." She says. "The last time you had sex before you were taken was on your birthday, the day you were taken, correct?" She asks. We both nod. "Okay well..." She sighs. "The baby is perfectly healthy." She says. Relief floods my veins. "But...you're not." Peeta's face falls, but I remain expressionless. "Listen," she whispers. "You weren't injected with tracker jacker venom." She says. "You were injected with morphine." She says. "Sara injected you with morphine and you had a mild reaction, causing you to feel like it was fire. The doctors who found out it was tracker jacker venom look further into it. They got your blood type mixed up with the morphine you were on at the time for your arm, hence the tracker jacker. But as we looked further into it, we realized there's no way you were injected. It's poison and you'd be dead. So...you never had tracker jacker venom in you." We stare at her, silent. "Morphine is no way harmful to you, or the baby." She says. "But...the baby and you are healthy right now, but in a week or so...not so much." She says. "Because the baby is growing closer to your side than they're supposed to. It's going to attach to your side and continue to grow up inside of you, meaning it could get to your age and still be inside of you with no way of coming out. But that won't happen. By the time the baby is 11 months, you will be dead and so will the baby." Peeta's trying not to cry. "Which means we have to do a C-Section." She says.  
"But the baby!" I burst.  
"But you!" Peeta explodes.  
"Listen!" Allison says loudly. "We're going to take out the baby. The only thing that will be wrong with you afterwards is you'll have a scar on your stomach that will only be noticeable to the people that know it's there. The baby will stay at the hospital with us three months until its nine months and it will continue to grow from seven and a half months till it is nine in a manmade uterus. If we get the baby out right now, both Katniss and the baby will be fine. There is a slight chance that the baby will have some mental problems when it gets older, but I don't think it will." I don't correct her on calling the baby it right now. "It will most likely be ADD, but that's it. Of course they're going to be smaller, but that's it, really." She says.  
"So if we get the baby out right now, Katniss stays healthy and so does the baby?" Peeta presses.  
"Yes. But we have a problem with the manmade uterus." She says. "The baby is going to think its still inside of Katniss, so Katniss and you need to be around." She says.  
"Which means we can't go home for three months?" I interject.  
"Exactly," she says.  
"So what! I'd rather live here my entire life then let Katniss and the baby die!" Peeta bursts.  
I nod, agreeing.  
"So you want to do the C-Section? You'll look completely normal after your stomach goes back to normal size." She says.  
"Do it," I say. "We'll just live here for three months." I say.  
"The same rule applies. You can't call your family..."  
I look at Peeta.  
"Whatever. Just save my wife and baby." Peeta says.  
Allison sighs happily.  
"I was hoping you'd do the right thing." She says. "But wait, I know what the sex is." She adds.  
We wanted a surprise, because it will just make everything better.  
"Don't tell us," Peeta says.  
"Yeah, don't." I say.  
"Okay, fine. Peeta, I'm going to take you to where you'll be staying during the C-Section. Don't freak out, Katniss is going to be perfectly fine. You'll see her in 24 hours." She assures him.  
Peeta leans down and kisses me.  
"I love you," he whispers.  
"I love you too," I say.  
Allison leads Peeta away.  
I fidget for a good twenty minutes before Allison comes back with a ton of supplies and a ton of other nurses. I already know all of them.  
Allison pats my arm.  
"I've got to put this in now. It's going to put you to sleep." She says gently.  
She inserts a needle into my arm and everything almost immediately goes dark.****

**Honestly, I can get why this is extremely confusing. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. If you leave it in a review, I'll answer at the start of next chapter.****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	27. Chapter 27

To MiaBelles, Katniss isn't 11 months, she's 7 and a half, that was probably just a typo. To I Want Starbucks, no, Katniss was not injected with poison. They thought she was, but Katniss was injected with Morphine, Tracker Jacker Venom was not used.

AND PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

When I wake up, the first thing I'm conscious of is the fact that I'm completely at ease. I don't feel any pain. I feel extremely lonely, too. I hear hushed whispers across the room. But there's one sound that forces my eyes open, and that's the wailing of a baby. I force them open and blink multiple times. Peeta's holding the baby.

"I'm telling you that he doesn't have I go into the man made uterus!" Allison whispers.

"But what if he's not okay?" Peeta demands. He.

"He's perfectly fine!" Allison bursts, lowering her voice at the end. "We're just going to keep him in intensive care for a bit, like maybe a day, but I swear he's fine." She says.

"You swear on your life that he's fine?" Peeta asks.

"I swear on my life that he's perfectly fine." She says.

"What about Katniss? Why isn't she awake yet?" He demands. They both look at me and I stare right back. They're silent for a bit. "Wanna hold him?" Peeta asks. I bob my head up and down. He walks over to me and hands me the wailing child. I cradle him. He's so tiny. He has wisps of blond curls on his head, and his eyes are blue as the sky.

"We don't think his eyes are going to stay blue. We thing they're going to morph into grey as he gets older." Allison whispers. She looks between the three of us and then slips out the door.  
"We need a name. It's driving me insane just calling him "the baby" I say quietly.

"Agreed," he says quietly. He's quiet for a while. "I like Noah," he says.

"I like Jackson, but I like Noah more." I whisper, nodding.

"Noah Jackson," he says. I look up at him.

"That's perfect!" I say. "Noah is like the best name." He whispers. I nod, agreeing, gazing down at the sleeping child. We're silent for a little while.

"Allison says we can go home tomorrow." He whispers. "And it's like midnight or something." He adds.

"How long was I out?" I ask.

"About...24 hours." He says. "Allison says our family is calling our phone like crazy." We told them they could wait at our house. Tomorrow is the 23rd of December. So that means Noah's birthday is the 22nd. I yawn softly, exhausted even though I just woke up. Peeta takes Noah and puts him in the plastic crib. I drift off right away.

...To MiaBelles, Katniss isn't 11 months, she's 7 and a half, that was probably just a typo.  
To I Want Starbucks, no, Katniss was not injected with poison. They thought she was, but Katniss was injected with Morphine, Tracker Jacker Venom was not used.

AND PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

When I wake up, the first thing I'm conscious of is the fact that I'm completely at ease. I don't feel any pain.  
I feel extremely lonely, too.  
I hear hushed whispers across the room.  
But there's one sound that forces my eyes open, and that's the wailing of a baby.  
I force them open and blink multiple times.  
Peeta's holding the baby.  
"I'm telling you that he doesn't have I go into the man made uterus!" Allison whispers.  
"But what if he's not okay?" Peeta demands.  
He.  
"He's perfectly fine!" Allison bursts, lowering her voice at the end. "We're just going to keep him in intensive care for a bit, like maybe a day, but I swear he's fine." She says.  
"You swear on your life that he's fine?" Peeta asks.  
"I swear on my life that he's perfectly fine." She says.  
"What about Katniss? Why isn't she awake yet?" He demands. They both look at me and I stare right back. They're silent for a bit.  
"Wanna hold him?" Peeta asks. I bob my head up and down.  
He walks over to me and hands me the wailing child.  
I cradle him. He's so tiny. He has wisps of blond curls on his head, and his eyes are blue as the sky.  
"We don't think his eyes are going to stay blue. We thing they're going to morph into grey as he gets older." Allison whispers. She looks between the three of us and then slips out the door.  
"We need a name. It's driving me insane just calling him "the baby" I say quietly.  
"Agreed," he says quietly. He's quiet for a while. "I like Noah," he says.  
"I like Jackson, but I like Noah more." I whisper, nodding.  
"Noah Jackson," he says. I look up at him.  
"That's perfect!" I say.  
"Noah is like the best name." He whispers.  
I nod, agreeing, gazing down at the sleeping child.  
We're silent for a little while.  
"Allison says we can go home tomorrow." He whispers. "And it's like midnight or something." He adds.  
"How long was I out?" I ask.  
"About...24 hours." He says. "Allison says our family is calling our phone like crazy."  
We told them they could wait at our house. Tomorrow is the 23rd of December. So that means Noah's birthday is the 22nd.  
I yawn softly, exhausted even though I just woke up.  
Peeta takes Noah and puts him in the plastic crib.  
I drift off right away.

I wake up then, to a soft wailing.  
I squint through the darkness and see Peeta holding Noah, who is crying.  
"Lemme see," I say.  
He hands me the baby and Noah wails louder.  
"Maybe he's hungry..." He suggests carefully.  
"What do I do?" I ask.  
"Just...expose yourself and..." He looks uncomfortable.  
I expose my boob and move him. He latches on and I suck in a breath.  
"That's..." I pause, thinking of a word. "New," he snorts and then sits down.  
I hold Noah for a while and then drift off again.

The next time I wake up, Noah is crying again.  
I cover myself and look around, knowing he needs his diaper changed.  
Peeta then walks over to me with a ton of supplies. He takes him.  
"Go back to sleep," he gives me a kiss and then I drift off.

I'm not waking up on my own, I'm being woken.  
I force my eyes open. It's Allison.  
"What?" I whisper.  
"Your going home." She says. Peeta is holding Noah, who is wrapped in a blanket. "You should be able to walk perfectly fine," she adds.  
"Well I have to change..." I trail off. Allison knows damn well that I refuse to change in front of any nurse except for her. I threw a fit the first time as she has to give my sleep meds to get me to stop screaming.  
She sighs loudly and pushes out everyone but Peeta and Noah.  
She lays my clothes on the bed.  
"You know your on your cycle, right?" She asks. I scowl.  
"No. I had no clue that I was bleeding from my crotch." I say sarcastically.  
Peeta snickers.  
I stand up, surprised at the little amount of pain I'm in.  
"Plutarch is flying you guys home and then driving you to your house." She explains.  
"I don't really know about this..." I trail off. "I think this is extremely unhealthy for Noah-"  
"It's going to he perfectly fine." Allison cuts in.  
I look at Peeta, who looks hesitant.  
"I'm going to be visiting once every two weeks. The second time I visit we'll be taking out your stitches." She says.  
I hesitant.  
"Fine. Lets go." I say. We haven't been home in three days, although to me it feels like one. "Can I?" I ask Peeta.  
He nods and hands me Noah.  
I cradle him.  
"Lets go," I say.  
Peeta wrap his arm around my shoulder and we head out.  
I lead him down to the receptionist desk. Kate smiles.  
"Congratulations," she slides me and Peeta's phone to us and Peeta takes them, putting them in his pocket.  
Plutarch walks out.  
"Lets go," he says.  
We walks outside.  
I clutch Noah tighter to my chest, making sure the blanket is covering him.  
I walk out, sucking in a breath. It's snowing.  
Noah starts to whine and then full blast scream.  
I get in the car and Peeta shuts the door.  
I rock him, opening up my jacket, resting him on my chest and the zipping the jacket up so he's in it with me.  
The airport isn't far.  
I continue to rock back and forth as Plutarch drives.  
"We have absolutely no baby supplies whatsoever." Peeta says. I sigh.  
"I know. We'll figure something out." I say. Both my phone and Peeta's phone starts ringing and he pulls both of them out. "Don't answer, let surprise them." I say.  
"Good idea," he replies, waiting for the phones to stop ringing before putting them in his pocket.  
Noah is starting to fall asleep. I pat his back.  
We pull up at the airport and we get out. Plutarch hands a man his car keys and then leads us through the airport.  
I keep my head down as we walk towards the plane, staying extremely close to Peeta, making sure to hold Noah.  
Soon enough, we're seated on the plane.  
Peeta sits down on one couch and I sit next to him, laying down with Noah asleep on my chest. My belly is still large.  
I use Peeta's leg as a pillow, rubbing Noah's back.  
"He's cute," Plutarch says. I smile. "He looks like...both of you. He has Katniss's nose and cheeks, but Peeta's head and hair." He says.  
I smile again.  
Peeta fiddles with my hair and I start to drift off, eventually falling all the way asleep.

When I wake up, it's to movement on my chest. I panic for a moment and then realize its just Noah.  
I groan quietly and open my eyes. He's waking up and he's probably hungry, because he hasn't eaten since last night.  
I look around for something to cover myself with, since Plutarch is here.  
Peeta takes off his shirt and drops it over me.  
"You need this," I mumble, tiredness laced in my voice.  
"I'll put it back on when we get there." He assures me.  
I sigh and cover myself, unzipping my jacket and exposing myself just as he starts to cry.  
He latches on immediately and then everything goes back to silence.  
I sigh and grab Peeta's hand, playing with it.  
"We should be landing soon." Plutarch says. "I'll pull the car right up to the stairs. Your family is apparently at Rye and Graham's house." Plutarch says.  
I look up at Peeta and we have a silent conversation.  
"Can you just take us there?" I ask.  
"Sure," he says.  
The plane lands and I link my fingers with Peeta, holding tighter onto Noah so he doesn't fall. His grip on my boob lights and I lift the shirt. His eyes are closed. He's asleep.  
I unlatch him from me and cover myself, moving Noah so I can zip up my jacket.  
The plane stops moving and Plutarch walks out.  
Peeta pulls his shirt on and I move Noah so I'm cradling him.  
"What are we gonna do? We have no baby stuff. Not one thing. We can't bring a newborn into a store and I can't pump." I whisper. "We don't even have diapers!" I add hoarsely.  
He runs a hand through his hair.  
"We'll figure something out once we have the family with us." He assures me.  
I shift Noah in my arms, sighing.  
"Come on," Plutarch calls.  
We head down the stairs, my stomach filled with butterflies.  
We get into the car and I hold into Noah as Plutarch begins to drive.  
"Do you guys even have anything for the baby?" He asks.  
"Not a thing," I reply.  
"Do you have the money to get everything...?" He asks carefully.  
"Yeah," I say.  
He nods and continues driving.  
I gaze down at Noah, who's fast asleep.  
"I don't want everyone to know I had the baby." I say when we pull up, around two hours later.  
Peeta looks confused.  
I zip my jacket up over Noah.  
"Lemme see your shirt," I say.  
He hands it to me.  
I pull it open, keeping one hand on Noah.  
"Can you tell?" I ask.  
"Nope," he says. I grin.  
"Good," I get out of the car.  
Noah is exhausted and fast asleep, I'm not going to worry.  
We wave to Plutarch, who waves back and disappears down the street.  
"You go first. Let them rant and then make up an excuse." I say.  
He nods and walks in the house, me stepping in behind him.  
Everyone looks up, and then they look pissed.  
"Well it's good to know your perfectly fine. Not like you could answer the phone." Jo says, pissed.  
"Sorry. Our flight got delayed and we can't have our phones at the hospital." Peeta says cooly.  
How does he do that?  
"How's the baby?" Mom asks as I shut the door, making it look like my hands are on my belly, when really, they're on Noah, holding him up.  
"Great," I say.  
"Well, where the picture of my niece?" Rye demands.  
Fuck. I can tell by one look at Peeta that he's got nothing.  
"Shoot! We completely forgot the picture in the hospital room!" I say. "I'll have to call Allison later." Peeta nods.  
"I can't believe we forgot it." Peeta says.  
Oh how funny this is.  
"Why is Katniss wearing your shirt?" Graham asks skeptically.  
"I was cold. Still an, actually." I say.  
"So you took his shirt?" Finn asks.  
"I told him I didn't want it, but of course he insisted." I say.  
"Shocker," Jared says.  
We all fall silent, my heart racing in my chest.  
"You both look exahusted." Mom says.  
I remain silent.  
Noah moves his hand, and I know he's waking up. Oh this is going to be great. I snicker and look down, silently cursing at myself.  
"What's funny?" Audrey asks sweetly.  
"Nothing honey, I just remembered something." I look at Peeta, telling him the baby is waking up.  
"I'm not so cold anymore." I say.  
"Lets go on the porch."'peers suggests.  
I immediately slip out the door with him right behind me.  
He helps me out of the shirt and I unzip my jacket, cradling Noah, who wasn't waking up. Peeta pulls his shirt on and walks back inside.  
I step in behind him and everyone's jaws drop, their eyes bulging.  
"We may have told a little lie." I say.  
"How in gods name is a four month old baby out of the hospital, alive, healthy, and breathing on its own!" Mom demands.  
"Actually, Noah is seven and a half months, almost eight." I say.  
"Noah," Prim whispers.  
"He?" Mrs. Mellark asks.  
"He," I repeat.  
"Well let me hold him!" Mr. Mellark says.  
He walks over to me and scoops the baby from my arms.  
He admires him and then passes him around to everyone, my mom and Mrs. Mellark starting to cry.  
Noah is wailing now.  
Rye hands him back to me and almost right away, he stops.  
"Lemme," Peeta says. He takes Noah and he doesn't start crying.  
"You two better start explaining." Mom demands.  
Jessica orders Audrey and Ethan off the couch so Peeta and I can sit.  
"Well..." I begin, not sitting. "It's a really, really long, shocking story." I say.  
Peeta won't tell it, I know that. It upsets him.  
"It starts on my birthday." I say. "And if you interrupt me, I'm going to freak out." I say. "Now, as all of you know, the thing I wanted most for my birthday was for Peeta to mess it up by being angry and rough with me." I say. "Which causes me to get pregnant. But then I was taken by Sara."  
"But-" Prim starts.  
"Shut up," I say. She falls silent.  
"But we all thought I got pregnant the day I got back. I didn't. When the doctors got me, they took my blood. They messed up the test. It wasn't tracker jacker venom Sara was putting into me, it was Morpgine. The only reason it hurt so badly for me was because I had a mild reaction. Morphine can't hurt me, or the baby." I say. "So we go to the doctors and do the ultra sound. Both Allison and I both knew right away some timing was wrong, that Noah was way to be to be a three and a half month baby. But, Allison left the room and I realized that he was from my birthday. We all were freaking out and Allison left us alone for hours." I look at Peeta, who looks upset.  
"I'm going outside," he hands me Noah as he passes, shutting the door behind him.  
I start to pace, patting Noah's butt.  
"What's his problem?" Rye asks.  
"You'll see," I say. "When Allison came back she told us everything I just told you. She said the baby is perfectly fine." I say.  
"So why aren't you still pregnant!" Mom demands.  
I glare at her.  
"And then she said that the baby was fine, but I wasn't, or wouldn't be. She said in a weeks time, the baby will start growing as a part of me. That he going to he attached to me. He would grow inside of me, like he's growing up. She said that I would die, and so would he." Everyone looks upset. "And I freaked about the baby but Peets freaked about me." I say.  
"Obviously!" Prim bursts.  
"She said that they would have I do a C-Section and that I would live and so would the baby. He was supposed to be put in those manmade uteruses but she said that he was perfectly healthy, even though both Peeta and I protested that its not safe for him to go home. But he's fine." I say.  
"So your going to live and so is he?" Mrs. Mellark asks.  
"Yes. I'm fine and so is Noah." I say.  
"So Peeta's upset because he hasn't come to terms with the fact that he almost lost you?" Lauren asks. I nod. She smiles a little. "That's so sweet." I shrug.  
"Can I hold him again?" Prim asks.  
I nod and hand her Noah.  
"I'm gonna go..." I flail my hands in the direction Peeta went. I look at Prim and for second and then decide to trust her.  
I slip out the front door.  
He sitting on the stoop with his elbows on his knees, his head being held up by the palm of his hands.  
I sit down next to him, leaning into him.  
He drops his hand and then grabs mine, linking our fingers. I rest my head on his shoulder.  
"I'm sorry everything since my birthday to today happened." I whisper.  
"You mean everything? Like Noah and us getting married?" He asks. I laugh a little.  
"Well maybe not everything..." I trail off and he laughs. "I mean like me getting taken and...yeah."  
"That's not your fault. How many times to I have to tell you that it's not your fault?" He says.  
I sigh.  
"I know it's not my fault. I still feel bad because I didn't fight her. Had I fought her then everything would be completely normal." I say.  
"But it's not normal. Nothing with us ever was. I'm used to shocking things hitting us at every corner." He says. "Like the fact that in a months time, both you and Noah would have been dead." He whispers.  
I move my head to give him a loving kiss.  
I pull away slowly.  
"But I'm not. I'm right here and so is he." I whisper. "And we always will be."  
"I know. It's just a lot to process, I guess." He whispers.  
I nod and then we fall silent. After a minute, we hear Noah screaming inside.  
We both immediately get up and head inside.  
Prim hands Noah to me.  
"What happened?" I ask over his wails, rubbing his back.  
"I don't know! I was holding him and he started screaming!" She's panicking.  
I already know exactly what he wants.  
"Gimme your shirt," I say.  
Peeta pulls it back off and hands it to me.  
I hand Noah to Peeta and pull on the shirt and then grab Noah and maneuver him under Peeta's shirt.  
I expose myself and he immediately silences.  
"Audrey honey, get up." Jessica says.  
She slides down onto the floor and I sit down.  
She leans against my legs.  
I can't help but check Peeta out. Him simply standing there shirtless is intoxicating.  
I snicker.  
"I should take your sorts more often." I say.  
"Why?" He asks. Everyone also looks confused.  
"Because its hot and your extremely distracting." I reply.  
Peeta rolls his eyes and everyone snickers or shakes their heads and laugh.  
"Finnick is much more distracting," Annie argues.  
"Bull," I say.  
Finn shoots me a challenging look and stands up, pulling his shirt off.  
I stare between the two of them. Both of them has very, very defined six packs and large muscles. Finn is trying so hard to win me over, but all Peeta does is stares at me.  
I continue to look between the both of them.  
"I still say Peeta," I say, shaking my head.  
"Why? They both have six packs and the biceps. They have the exact same body shape, too!" Jo says.  
I smirk evilly.  
"I think it's because I know what he can do with his hands." Mom chokes on the pretzel she's eating and Mrs. Mellark on her coffee, and them everyone gasps and starts laughing.  
"Katniss Joy! You have a child now! You can't go around saying that!" Mom scolds.  
I move the shirt.  
"He's asleep. Besides, he won't remember anyways." I say.  
"That's not right!" She says.  
"Are you telling me how to raise my child?" I ask challengingly.  
"No, I just-" she begins before I cut her off.  
"Well then drop it. He's dead asleep and he's never going to remember this." I say.  
"Is he still attached to you?" Rye asks, confused.  
"Yes," I say.  
"And he's asleep?" Graham adds.  
"Yes," I repeat.  
"That's..." They both look extremely confused.  
"Like a pacifier," I say.  
I slowly pull Noah out from under Peeta's shirt, cover myself and then pull off Peeta's shirt with Noah on my lap.  
I toss his shirt to him and then we're all silent.  
"Well...I have to go." Peeta says. I already know where he's going.  
"Go where?" Rye asks.  
"The store," he says, pulling my phone from his pocket and handing it to me.  
"For what?" Jared asks.  
"Oh maybe something for a baby that we have absolutely nothing for." I say sarcastically. Jared rolls his eyes in my direction.  
"You don't even have diapers!" Mom bursts.  
"Mom seriously, as of four days ago, we thought I was three and a half months, not seven and a half." I say.  
"But still honey..." She looks disapproving.  
"Well I'll take you guys home," Finn says.  
I stand up, Audrey scooting away from me.  
Finn walks out the front door and Peeta and I follow him.  
Peeta takes Noah and we head to the car. This is gonna be a half hour.  
I rest my head back against the seat and wait patiently for us to get home.  
"We should all come over here. Someone should go with you and someone should stay with Katniss to help her with the baby." Finn says.  
"I completely agree," Peeta replies.  
"Don't leave for about an hour. We'll figure something out." Finn says.  
We both nod and get out of the car. Noah is wailing again.  
We head into the house and I kick my shoes off.  
"Uh we have a problem." Peeta says  
"Hmm?" I ask.  
"I think he needs his diaper changed..." He says.  
Makes sense, it's been since early last night since he was changed.  
"Let's just see if he's still hungry." I suggest, taking Noah from Peeta and exposing myself. It's just us here, so I don't have to hide.  
He rejects. I cover myself again and feel his diaper, which is squishy.  
"What do we do? We do have any diapers!" I say.  
"We're gonna have to take off the diaper anyways, or he's gonna get a rash." Peeta says.  
"What if he goes again? He will. There's no way he won't before your home. He's probably been sitting in this since I woke up and he didn't notice till now!" I say.  
"No because I changed him before Allison woke you up." He says.  
"Still. What do I do? If I take off the diaper he's gonna end up going on something or someone, but if I leave it on, he's gonna get blisters." He sighs. We think hard for a while. Suddenly, he snaps his fingers.  
"Audrey! She has baby diapers for her dolls!" He exclaims.  
"That's mean..." I trail off.  
"We can give her a real diaper back if she gives us one." He says.  
"I don't know..." I trail off.  
"What other options do we have?" He says. I sigh loudly, looking up when Finn pulls into the driveway with most of the family in their cars behind.  
They all come inside.  
Noah is still crying.  
Audrey drops right to the floor and continues to play with her dolls. They a make themselves right at home.  
I hand Noah to Peeta and kneel down in front of Audrey.  
"Audrey, honey?" I ask.  
She looks up at me.  
"Yes Katnus?" She asks sweetly.  
"Do you want to do me a huge favor?" I ask. She remains silent. "Do you think you can let me use one of those diapers? I promise you that I'll give you two if I can just take one." I say.  
She looks hesitant. This girl is so smart.  
"Okay," she hands me one of the diapers.  
I sigh, relived.  
"Thank you!" I kiss her head and get up, taking Noah and going upstairs.  
I go into the master bathroom and unwrap the blanket from his body.  
I take off his tiny onesie and get a ton of toilet paper, soaking it with warm water.  
I know I have baby power around here somewhere.  
I take off his diaper and wipe him. He peed and pooped. It doesn't bug me.  
I lift him up, still naked and look through the cabinets.  
I grab the baby powder. I knew I had it somewhere but I can't remember why.  
I tuck the clean diaper underneath him and pour baby powder on him, humming a song, trying to silent his screams. He's literally screaming.  
I close up his diaper and wrap him in the blanket again, throwing away the diaper.  
I put some hand sanitizer on my hands and then pick him up.  
I shut the bedroom door. He doesn't stop screaming.  
Oh my god, I forgot one of the most important things.  
I feel his belly. It's hard as rock.  
I get a washcloth and throw it over my shoulder, resting his head on it.  
I pat his back, humming and occasionally shushing him calmingly.  
After a few minutes, my mom comes upstairs.  
"Katniss honey, do you need help?" She asks.  
Yes. I'm panicking that something is wrong with him.  
I nod and pass him over.  
She takes the washcloth and starts to pat his back.  
"Is something wrong with him?" I ask.  
"No honey," she assures me. "Oh, and the guys left. They went shopping. Peeta said to tell you that you need to keep your phone with you because, and I quote, 'I don't know what a baby needs'." She explains.  
"All the guys left?" I ask. "Every single one of them?" She nods.  
"Yes. It's just girls here." She says.  
Noah keeps screaming.  
"Try feeding him," she passes him to me.  
I expose myself and he latches on.  
"Do I have to like...cover?" I ask.  
"It's just girls." She says.  
"I know," I say.  
I cover anyways, with just the washcloth.  
We head downstairs and I sit down on the couch.  
I get my phone out of my pocket and rest it on my knee.  
I remember something and text Peeta.  
Me: What's two days from now?  
Baby: Christmas. Why?  
Me: we have a child  
Baby: oh...okay  
He gets it.  
Baby: I don't have any idea what im supposed to buy  
Me: just ask the dads. They've obviously had kids. You can call my whenever you want to. Oh and make sure to send me pictures of all the stuff you get. And get a ton of diapers and get a breast pump.  
Baby: okay I guess.  
Me: why I guess?  
Baby: because I don't know what in getting and I have no idea what a breast pump is!  
He's frustrated.  
Me: gimme a second  
I go on google and find a list of everything you need for a baby, making sure that its all good and has everything we could possibly ever need.  
I copy and paste the link into the text and send it to Peeta.  
Me: does that help?  
It's a minute before he replies.  
Baby: damn I love you  
Me: lol  
Me: I love you too  
Noah unattached himself from me and starts to cry.  
I cover myself and move the washcloth so I can burp him.  
I get up and walk around.  
Eventually, Noah burps up a ton of milk.  
I take the corner of the washcloth and wipe his mouth, going into the laundry room and throwing it away.  
He continues to wail.  
I sigh and go back into the living room, rubbing his back.  
I continue to text Peeta and talk to the girls.  
After a half hour if his nonstop crying, I try to feed him but he declines. I check his diaper, which is perfectly fine. What's wrong with him? I try to burp him again but he doesn't stop.  
Eventually, Mrs. Mellark takes him. He keeps screaming with her too.  
Mom checks his temperature and shakes her head and walks around.  
It's been an hour now, maybe longer, I have no clue.  
I say yes to all the pictures Peeta sends me because I like all of them.  
Eventually, they give up and pass him back to me.  
His cries quiet a bit but then continue.  
I don't know how many more hours of his constant screaming passes. I go as far as calling Allison. She gives me instructions on what to do but he doesn't stop.  
I hang up and hurl my phone at the wall, not worrying because I have a life proof case.  
I'm to the point of tears now.  
I call Peeta, handing Noah to Mrs. Mellark and stepping out onto the porch.  
"Hello?" He asks.  
"When are you coming home?" I demand.  
"I'll be there in like a half hour, why?" He asks.  
"Okay," I hang up on him and go back into the house.  
"Katniss we have to do something." Annie bursts.  
I try not to cry as I take him back.  
I'm desperate right now.  
I don't even try anything, I just run his back and pace.  
"Is he gonna die?" I ask eventually, around twenty minutes later.  
"No hon, I don't think so." Mom says gently. It's been almost five hours since we got home and he started crying.  
"I need you to know positive!" I burst. She remains silent.  
Tears start pouring down my cheeks.  
"Katniss-" mom begins.  
The front door opens and all the guys walk in.  
Peeta looks panicked.  
"What happened?" He demands, taking Noah from me.  
"He's been crying since he started when you left!" I say, panicked.  
Noah stops.  
Mom stares at Peeta. Noah is fast asleep, nestled against Peeta.  
"Um..." He honestly looks like he feels terrible. "Sorry?" He says nervously.  
The whole fucking time he just wanted Peeta.  
Five fucking hours of nonstop screaming, and Peeta walks in the door and takes him and he stops.  
I'm not angry? I'm frustrated.  
I turn around without a word and go upstairs, shutting the door to our bedroom.  
I grab a sports bra a underwear a sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt that's low cut so I can easily get my boob out.  
I storm into the bathroom and start a shower.  
Five hours.  
What would I do without him.  
I lock the door to the bathroom and strip naked, putting a pad into my underwear before getting in the shower.  
I scrub my body and hair and face until my skin is raw, being very gentle with my stomach since I have stitches.  
I shave, wash off and then just stand there for I don't know how long.  
I let the water beat on my back until it hurts and then my back gets numb so I turn off the water and get out.  
I stand wrapped in a towel for another ten minutes.  
Eventually, I get dressed and go out into the bedroom.  
I hear laughter downstairs. I look around and then plop down on the bed.  
I look around and then get up and go downstairs.  
I go into the kitchen without a word to anyone.  
I haven't eaten in almost four days so I am starving.  
I make a sandwich and get a bag of sun chips and start some coffee  
I get a pudding and a jello and then pour coffee and put sugar and milk and creamer, mix it and then get a plate and a spoon and walk out to the living room.  
"Got enough there?" Finn asks.  
"Hey! I haven't eaten in three days!" I say, pointing my spoon at him.  
I start downing food.  
Prim goes to take one of my chips and I slap her hand. Audrey comes up behind me.  
"Can I have one?" She asks sweetly.  
"Sure?" I hold the bag to her and she takes a chip.  
"What about me?" Peeta asks.  
I hold the bag out to him and he takes some.  
"What the fuck!" Prim says.  
"Language," I say.  
"Why can they have some and I can't?" She demands.  
"Audrey is adorable," I shrug.  
"And why about Peeta! You have him tons!" She complains.  
"Peeta is my husband and I love him. He's allowed to have some. They're just as much mine as they are his." I say.  
"But I'm your sister!" She says.  
"So?" I say.  
"Give me some chips!" She says.  
"No," I reply.  
She looks like she could slap me. I roll my eyes.  
"Oh calm down," I hand her some chips and she shuts up. "God. Noah has more self control than you." I grumble. She looks irritated.  
"Bitch," she says.  
"You shouldn't have said that..." Peeta says.  
"I'm not the bitch here." I retort.  
She sighs loudly and remains silent.  
I finish eating and get up, throwing away the trash.  
I go back out and sit down next to Peeta.  
"Did you hear the art teacher Mrs. Porter has cancer and now nobody can be a teacher for her? And now the ninth grade math teacher is really tough and she's getting fired for smacking a kid?" Prim says. "But like the intense math. She has one senior class too." She explains.  
I look at Peeta, my eyebrows raised.  
"So you guys don't have a intense math teacher or an art teacher anymore?" Peeta asks.  
"Nope," she says.  
I look at Peeta again.  
"Do you have intense math?" I ask. She's in her senior year for a second time and se probably will be for a third if she doesn't pass math.  
"Yeah, you know that." She says.  
"Do you have art?" Peeta asks curiously.  
"Yes...why?" Prim asks.  
I don't say anything, I just watch Noah, who is sleeping on Peeta's chest.  
"Just wondering," Peeta says quickly. Everyone looks suspicious.  
"I can so see that!" Annie says, sitting bolt upright.  
"See what?" I ask.  
"You teaching math and Peeta teaching art!" She says. Damn. She knows too much.  
Wait, really?" Prim asks excitedly.  
"We were thinking about it..." I trail off nervously.  
"Do it! Your amazing at math and your amazing at art!" She says, directing the math part at me and the art part at Peeta.  
"Yeah but if we don't get hired..." I sigh quietly.  
"You will get hired! They're desperate, they're going to hire you!" She says excitedly.  
"But what if they find a new teacher and they're better. We'll get fired..." I say.  
"I doubt it! Come on guys, please!" She begs.  
"But Noah..." I sigh.  
"I'll babysit him. She's failing art and math!" Mom says. Everyone seems the be pleading.  
"You would seriously be an incredible teacher." Finn says. "Both of you," I look at Peeta.  
I want to but Noah...  
"Katniss Noah will be perfectly fine with me. You can just pump. It will be okay." Mom says.  
I sigh.  
"But what if they don't hire-"  
"They said that if you know anyone that can take the job that has a teaching degree, which you both do, that they can come in until the day before Christmas Eve!" Prim says. "And that's today!"  
I guess we better try.  
"Fine," I sigh and everyone looks hopeful. "Let me go get dressed..." I get up and walk upstairs.  
My stomach is hardly anything already. I guess that's what happens when you get a C-Section. (Not true but who cares)  
Peeta follows me, shutting the door behind him.  
"Is this really a good idea?" I ask nervously.  
"I think it is. I want to do it. You know you don't have to, right?" He asks. I could honestly see myself teaching.  
"I want to," I say. "What are we supposed to wear for something like this?" I ask.  
"Just wear jeans and your jacket. It's cold outside, it's not like your taking it off." He says.  
"Good point," I change into jeans and change my bra to an actual one. I pull on a nice long sleeve shirt that's just white and then pull on my black trench coat.  
I slide on boots, brush my hair, that's damp.  
Peeta's wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt with a jacket over it.  
I'm really nervous.  
"Let's go," he says.  
"What about Noah?" I ask.  
"We've got a carseat now. And a diaper bag and diapers and everything." He says.  
I head downstairs and open a pack of diapers while Peeta gets the diaper bag, which I approve of.  
I hand two diapers to Audrey and kiss her head.  
I throw in wipes and a ton of diapers, a ton of outfits, a blanket, a pacifier, butt cream, baby powder, a baby hat and socks.  
I pick up Noah from Mom and carefully unbutton his clothes.  
I get a long sleeve onesie and put him in it, ignoring his wails.  
I change his diaper, not caring everyone is here.  
Peeta takes it and throws it away as I coat him in baby powder and putting on a clean diaper.  
I pull on warm baby sweatpants and socks, carefully putting on his jacket and buttoning it up.  
I pull on a hat and pick him up.  
He's not even crying anymore.  
Peeta comes downstairs with my wallet, my purse, his wallet and both our phones.  
I take my phone, purse and wallet.  
He grabs the carseat and diaper bag.  
"Can I come?" Prim asks.  
"Yeah, whatever." I say. "We'll be back," I say.  
The three of us head out of the door.  
Peeta sets up the carseat and I buckle Noah in.  
I shut his door after taking the diaper bag from Peeta and dropping it on the floor in front of him.  
Prim gets in and I get in the passenger, Peeta the driver.  
We're taking the truck, because its much warmer.  
Peeta blasts the heat and backs out.  
Prim blocks us out with earbuds as we drive.  
I'm really nervous.  
I look back at Noah to see he's fast asleep.  
"Wake me up when we get there," I say.  
"Ok," Peeta says.  
I rest my head against the window and drift off.

"Katniss," someone is shaking my shoulder. I open my eyes. We're in the school parking lot.  
I blink the sleep out of my eyes and yawn.  
"Ready?" Prim asks excitedly.  
I nod and get out, grabbing my purse.  
Peeta gets the diaper bag and I unbuckle sleeping Noah, maneuvering him into my arms.  
He wakes up and cries for two seconds, but falls back asleep when he's laying in my arms.  
I shut the door and follow Prim. She knows where she's going.  
A lady is locking the doors. Prim starts running.  
"Mrs. Clark! Wait!" She calls.  
The lady stops and turns around.  
"Hello Primrose." She says.  
"Please tell me the positions for the art teacher and the intense math teacher is still open!" She begs.  
"Sadly, yes. We don't know if we're going to be able to find a permanent teacher for either one of the parts. We may have to just keep getting different substitutes." She says glumly.  
"I can help you." She says.  
The lady looks hopeful.  
"My sister and her husband both went to college for business and being a teacher. My sister is a wiz at math and her husband is the most talented artist I have ever met in my entire life." She says. The lady looks even more hopeful.  
Nobody in the town really knows he live here, just a few people.  
Her eyes widen.  
"I'm Alica Clark," she holds out her hand.  
"Peeta Mellark," Peeta says warmly shaking her hand.  
I move Noah and shake he hand.  
"Katniss E-Mellark," I say. She smiles.  
"Nice to meet you," she says. Her eyes look at Noah, who is awake and beginning to whine from the cold. "Let's go inside," she says, opening the door.  
The four of us file in.  
She less us to an office marked "Principle"  
She points to a chair for a Prim to sit in.  
"Please sit! Make yourselves at home." She says gently.  
We sit down.  
She looks at Noah.  
"What's the name?" She asks because you can't really tell if a baby is a boy or girl.  
"Noah," I smile.  
"That's cute. How old is he?" She asks.  
"Believe it or not he's...like two days." I say.  
"And he's your baby?" She asks, shocked.  
"Yes..." I say.  
"You look incredible for just having a baby!" She says.  
"Thank you," I smile.  
"Okay...let's get down to business." She says. "How old are both of you?" She asks.  
"I'm 21," I say.  
"And I'm 22," Peeta says.  
"And you are looking for the position of the art teacher?" She asks.  
"Yes ma'am," Peeta says.  
"And your looking to be the intense math teacher?" She asks. I nod. "Okay...well I know this seems stupid, I need to see your art skills." She says. "Do you think you can draw this room?" Peeta looks around and nods.  
She gets a piece of printer paper and a pencil and slides them to Peeta. She turns to me.  
"Now, do you realize that the students that had the old teacher have gone through hell and back, correct?" She doesn't mind her language. Nobody really cares about language in high school.  
"All I know is that the old teacher got fired for hitting a kid." I say.  
"Well she's hit a kid, she screamed at them when they don't understand, which is why every one of them are failing. She doesn't teach, she just gives them bookwork. We need someone who is fun. Who makes math fun, who is nice and will make them succeed. The students are terrified to go to the class and many have came to my office crying because every substitute teacher they've had is just like her." She explains. "We need someone to get them to pass the EOC. Someone that is completely ready to teach an entire course with only a semester left in the school year. We have seniors that are getting held back for a third time. They need help. Many of them have been kicked out of their houses by their parents. It's very, very hard for them." She says. "Now, do you think your completely 100% ready to tackle these classes?" She asks.  
I'm silent, thinking through everything.  
"Yes, I think I can do it." I say confidently.  
"Okay, Primrose, please come here." Prim gets up and walks over to us.  
Mrs. Clark gets out a piece of paper and a pen and a pencil.  
She writes down a problem and slides the paper in my direction.  
"Everyone one of the students don't know how to do a proportion, including seniors. This is eighth grade work." She says. "I want to see you teach this to your sister.  
It's honestly sad at how they can't do this yet.

200/X=5/2

Prim's already panicking.  
I can't exactly do this with Noah in my lap.  
"I can hold him if you'd like. I have a three month old grandson." She says.  
"Thank you," I say, standing up and giving her Noah.  
Peeta is completely off in his own world.  
"Okay Prim, I want you to show me how you think you do this." I say. The principle looks like she already knows how Prim is gonna try to do it.  
"This is how every one of them do it." She says.  
Prim picks up the pencil.  
"Um..." She begins. "We'll 200X," she says. Wrong already. The answer is going to be 80. "And then 5 plus 2 is 7 so it's 200x+7, right?" She asks.  
"No. Look," I say calmly.  
I pick up the pen.  
"Okay, so they're set equal. You don't add anything, you cross multiply. Do you know how to cross multiply?" I ask. She shakes her head. I draw an X over the equal sign. "Look. What's 5 times X?" I ask.  
"5X..." She says nervously.  
"Right, and what's 200 times 2?" I ask.  
She's quiet for a second, thinking. "400,"  
"Right. So 5X=400." I say. "This is an equation so we have to solve, not simplify, which is why we're not adding or subtracting or multiplying or dividing, understand?" I ask. She nods.  
"Okay, now, we're solving for X, so lets circle what we're solving for." I say, circling the 5X.  
"You said we're solving for X, why are you circling the 2?" She demands.  
"Because its attached." I say. She nods thoughtfully. The principle looks ecstatic.  
"Now, how do we get X by itself?" I ask.  
"This is the last part of a two step equation, right?" She asks.  
"Right," I say.  
"So we divide both sides by 5. This cancels out and X=80...right?" Prim asks. I grin.  
"Right," I say.  
The principle waves her hand and urge me to keep going.  
"Lets try another one." I say. I think for a second. "Okay. 12/X=24/4." I say, writing. "Now I want you to try it and ask if you need help." I say.  
Mrs. Clark passes over a calculator, looking excited.  
Prim starts to write, typing on the calculator and then writing and then she circles something and slides it over to me, chewing nervously on her nails.  
24x=48. Then you did or by 24 on both sides, which cancels out 24x and leaves the x. X=2.  
I grin.  
"Your right," I say.  
"Seriously! Your dead serious?" She asks excitedly.  
"I'm serious," I say.  
"That took five minutes to teach something they should have learned four years ago!" Mrs. Clark exclaims.  
I shrug shyly.  
"I want you. Do you want the job?" She asks, moving Noah to type away on the computer.  
Noah wakes up and starts to get a weird look in his eyes and the. He starts to scream.  
I get up and take him.  
I pat his butt for a bit and he silences.  
"Yeah, I do." I say. I liked that. I love how excited someone gets when they understand something.  
She reads something silently.  
I look down at Peeta's picture, my eyes widening.  
Mrs. Clark nods.  
"Your hired." She says. I sigh, relieved.  
She looks at Peeta's picture, her eyes bulge.  
"My god! Stop right there!" She says. Peeta's hand freezes and he slowly sets his pencil down. He looks nervous.  
"This is incredible!" She says.  
"Thank you," he says.  
"So do you two want the jobs? I would give anything to have you two take over as the teachers." She says.  
"Yes. I want it." I say.  
"So do I," Peeta says.  
"Great! Your hired!" She says. Prim looks excited.  
I'm going to need you two to fill out these forms and then I'll fill you in on the rules as I show you your classrooms." She says.  
She slides us the same exact form and two pens. Prim takes Noah and I begin to fill out the papers, having to ask Peeta questions that I don't know the answer to. After a long time of me staring at another question I have no idea how to answer, Peeta tells it to me.  
These are literally the same questions and they have the same answers since we're married.  
I grab his paper and copy down the answers. We turn in the papers.  
"Know, I assume you know all the high school rules, correct?" She asks. We nod. "Okay, well everything is pretty much the same except for you can chew gum, eat, drink things other than water and have out your cell phone if the teacher okays it. If a student has a cell phone out in your class and you make your classroom rules so you can't have them, you can tell them to put it away, take it away or even give them detention. However, if you have a no phone policy and a student has a phone out somewhere else, you can't take it." She says. "If you don't have someone to watch Noah you can just bring him in while teaching. You just can't breast feed in front of the students. Mrs. McDaniel brings her seven month old niece in."  
"Okay, what if my mom watches Noah one day, but another day Peeta or I want to bring him in? Do we have to call and get an okay or can we just come?" I ask.  
"You can just come. You don't eve have to stop to see me." She says. "I think you guys start school on January seventh, so that's the day you start. The class should probably start off with a simple equation." She says to me. "And you can just start off by doing whatever." She says to Peeta. "Peeta-" she cuts off. "I can call you that, right?" Peeta nods. "Peeta, your planning is sixth period, your lunch is first, so after fifth, then you have fifth period and sixth is free." She says. "Katniss-" she cuts off and I nod before she can ask. "Katniss, your planning is fifth and you have first lunch with Peeta, so you go to lunch after forth and then have fifth free and then start up classes." She says. I nod, understanding. "Oh, I don't remember if I mentioned this, but if I did or didn't, your allowed to bring in an assistant to help you on any day, just have them check in. Almost all of our teachers do that." She adds. We nod. "Okay, any questions?" She asks. We both shake our heads. "Alright, let me show you your classes." She says.  
We get up.  
Noah is probably getting hungry. I knew it! A low whine escapes his throat and then he starts to cry.  
"Do you mind if I um..." She shakes her head.  
I get a blanket from the diaper bag and cover myself with it, moving so he can latch on.  
We follow her through the halls, Prim trailing behind us.  
"Do I have to call you guys Mrs and Mr. Mellark? That's weird." Prim says.  
"Yes Primrose, just because your related doesn't mean you can call them by their first names. At least not at school." Mrs. Clark says. Prim sighs.  
"Fine," she grumbles.  
We stop at the art room first.  
Mrs. Clark walks inside and we look around.  
She goes to a file cabinet and gets a file, handing it to Peeta. "That's your student information, all your students, what they like, their drawing skills, what they look like." She says. Peeta nods and fingers through the file, following us.  
He springs forwards and grabs the blanket covering me right before is falls.  
"Thanks," I say.  
He nods, engrossed in the file.  
"Normally ninth grade teachers are in the portables but since you have a senior class and there was so many problems, you've been moved inside. The students have never been in this classroom because this door is always kept locked." She says. "Oh and Peeta, here's your room key." She hands it to him and he thanks her, pocketing it.  
She hands me my key and I smile.  
"Thanks," I say. "Prim, can you put this on my keychain? I ask. She nods and grabs the key, attaching it to my keychain. She opens the door and goes to the file cabinet.  
I look around.  
"Now, I know it's going to be hard for you two to start teaching when your not prepared so we're allowing all the teachers in the school a day early." She says. I feel the overwhelming sense of relief. "And you can bring whoever you like with you. There's no need for you to check in with them, just come in." She says.  
"Can I take a few things?" I ask, covering myself and putting the towel over my shoulder.  
Peeta shakes his head and takes the towel and Noah.  
"Take what you wish. This is your classroom now." She says.  
I walk to the desk and get the teachers textbook and a student textbook. I look around. I can't think if anything else I may need.  
"Okay," I say. I take the file from Prim.  
"So I guess that's all." She says. "Did I give you guys my number?" She asks.  
"No but you have ours so can you just text me or something and I'll give it to Peeta?" I ask.  
"Perfect, okay." She says.  
I nod.  
"I'll do that right now. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to call." She says.  
We both nod.  
"Thank you," I say.  
Peeta and I shake our hands and then Prim leads us through the school back to the car.  
I buckle Noah into his carseat and then get in the passenger seat.  
Peeta starts to drive.  
"I can't believe you two are my teachers." Prim says after a while.  
"I'm nervous..." I say.  
"Everyone is going to love you." Prim says. "Mrs. Clark didn't tell you the students love you. They keep the news on in hope that you'll come on and then when you do they blast it through the speakers. When you were spotted pregnant in New York a ton of kids started screaming and crying because all of them thought you were dead even though the news was already out that you lived here. Nobody has pieces together that your my sister and they don't know you live here. Don't freak out if a ton of people hug you or cry." She says. I nod, silent.  
I get famous because Johanna posts a video of me singing on YouTube and then I almost die in a fire but go back in to save a three year old, then I get kidnapped so now everyone loves me?  
I sigh loudly and look back at Prim, who is staring at her phone with her earbuds in. I check on Noah to see he's fast asleep.  
"What's wrong?" Peeta asks.  
I draw patterns on my jeans like I always do when I'm upset about something.  
"Nothing..." I say quietly.  
"Your lying," he says. I sigh loudly.  
"Did you get the breast pump?" I ask. He nods. I start listing off everything. He keeps saying yes. "A ton of baby clothes? Pajamas?" I ask. He pauses.  
"Yes," he says.  
"Toys?" I ask.  
"Nobody said anything about toys..." He looks nervous.  
"I guess it doesn't matter now anyways. He's tok young for toys." I say. He nods, agreeing.  
"Now tell me what's wrong!" He says.  
"I'll tell you later," I say quietly.  
He sighs. I look back at Noah to see he's awake. He's not crying, he's just awake.  
He looks around and then looks panicked and begins to cry.  
I pause and unbuckle and then climb over the middle console.  
I unbuckle Noah and carefully move him so I'm in my seat with him.  
I top my feet up on the dashboard and expose myself.  
He latches on and shuts his eyes.  
It's just Prim and Peeta and they've both seen me naked, so I'm not gonna cover myself.  
"I don't even think he's eating." I say.  
"I think he woke up and got scared and wanted his Mom..." Peeta whispers. "And now he's just using you as a pacifier."  
"That's weird," I say.  
I seriously want to know if he's eating.  
I move myself back. He's not. I unlatch him from me and cover myself.  
"He's not eating, what's the point?" I pat his butt and he doesn't cry.  
"God he's really hot," I say, looking up when we pull into the driveway.  
The second the words leave my lips, he begins to cry.  
I sigh quietly and get out of the car.  
Prim gets inside first. Peeta walks next to me while I struggle to quiet Noah.  
We get inside and I'm terrified.  
"Mom I think he's sick." I say frantically.  
She looks panicked as she takes him.  
"No honey, he's just hot." Mom says.  
She hands him to me and I unbutton his jacket, tossing it onto the coffee table and laying him down on the couch.  
I take off his hat and socks. He keeps screaming.  
I slide down his pants and leave him in his onesie.  
Peeta places his hand on my shoulder.  
"Let me," he says. "You've been taking care of him all day." He says. I go to protest but he shakes his head. "No," he says. He lifts up Noah and sits down on the couch.  
I sigh and sit down next to him. He try's everything to make him stop crying, including changing his diaper, but nothing works.  
"There's no way he's hungry." Peeta says.  
"I know," I sigh.  
Mom snaps her fingers.  
"What's your favorite song?" She asks me.  
"Um...Jar Of Hearts, Christina Perrie, why?" I ask. She starts typing away on her phone. A few seconds later, an advertisement comes from her phone.  
"Sing," she says.  
"Why?" I ask.  
"You'll be surprised. Just do it." She says.  
She presses something on her phone and then the song begins.

_No, I can't take one more step towards you_  
_'Cause all that's waiting is regret_  
_Don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore_  
_You lost the love I loved the most_

_I learned to live half alive_  
_And now you want me one more time_

_And who do you think you are?_  
_Runnin' 'round leaving scars_  
_Collecting your jar of hearts_  
_And tearing love apart_  
_You're gonna catch a cold_  
_From the ice inside your soul_  
_So don't come back for me_  
_Who do you think you are?_

His cries are getting quieter, still whining, his eyes locked on me.  
I reach for him and Peeta hands him to me, his eyes dark blue.

_I hear you're asking all around_  
_If I am anywhere to be found_  
_But I have grown too strong_  
_To ever fall back in your arms_

_And I've learned to live half alive_  
_And now you want me one more time_

_And who do you think you are?_  
_Runnin' 'round leaving scars_  
_Collecting your jar of hearts_  
_And tearing love apart_  
_You're gonna catch a cold_  
_From the ice inside your soul_  
_So don't come back for me_  
_Who do you think you are?_

_And it took so long just to feel alright_  
_Remember how to put back the light in my eyes_  
_I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed_  
_'Cause you broke all your promises_  
_And now you're back_  
_You don't get to get me back_

_And who do you think you are?_  
_Runnin' 'round leaving scars_  
_Collecting your jar of hearts_  
_And tearing love apart_  
_You're gonna catch a cold_  
_From the ice inside your soul_  
_So don't come back for me_  
_Don't come back at all_

He's silent, staring at me.

_And who do you think you are?_  
_Runnin' 'round leaving scars_  
_Collecting your jar of hearts_  
_Tearing love apart_  
_You're gonna catch a cold_  
_From the ice inside your soul_  
_Don't come back for me_  
_Don't come back at all_

_Who do you think you are?_

_Who do you think you are?_

_Who do you think you are?_

When the song ends, I look up at Mom.  
"How'd you know that would work?" I ask.  
"Because I had to do that for you and for Prim." She says gently.  
I look down at Noah, who still looks upset. I really don't want to give him back to Peeta. I know exactly how to make it so I can still hold him. I turn to him.  
"What room should we make his?" I ask. He snaps his fingers.  
"I knew I was forgetting something! And lets make is the room on the left, closet to ours." He says.  
I nod, agreeing.  
He gets up and starts grabbing bags of stuff. Eventually the guys join in and they start carrying up the crib and then changing station and the rocking chair.  
I yawn. Noah starts to cry again.  
"He must be hungry," I say. I grab the diaper bag and get a blanket.  
I lay down, cover myself, expose myself and move him so he can latch on.  
He does and goes silent. I hold him close.  
Eventually, he unlatches and starts to whine.  
I cover myself and sit up, throwing the blanket over my shoulder and moving him, patting his back.  
Prim suddenly starts crying.  
"What's wrong?" Mom asks. She looks around and then gets up, dropping her phone into my lap.  
"Don't tell anyone," she chokes out before going out front, going to slam the door and then catching it it at the last second, closing it silently. She probably remembered that if she slams it, it'll scare Noah and he'll start crying again.  
I look down at her phone while patting Noah's back.  
Cole is her boyfriend.  
Cole: I need to talk to you about something...  
Prim: what is it?  
Cole: I think we should break up. I've been seeing this other girl and I feel like she's...better then you. I feel bad about cheating so It's over.  
Prim: okay  
Cole: sorry  
Prim: whatever cole  
Anger boils through my veins and I clench my jaw.  
What a fucking asshole.  
I get up and without a word, lock Prim's screen, picking her phone up.  
"Who wants to watch Noah for a few minutes?" I ask.  
Johanna smiles.  
"I thought you'd never ask." She takes the blanket and Noah and continues to burp him.  
"I'm using your jacket!" I call. I think everyone knows who I'm talking to.  
"Okay!" Peeta calls. Prim doesn't have a jacket on.  
I pull off my jacket and pull on Peeta's and then go out front.  
She's sitting on the porch, sobbing her eyes out.  
I drape my jacket over her shoulders and sit down, her phone in my lap.  
I wrap my arm around her shoulder and allow her to turn so she can cry into my shoulder.  
I don't say anything, I just run her back. She loved him, or loves, whatever.  
"I'll be back in two seconds." I whisper.  
I get up and walk to the truck, getting my file, my teachers textbook and the student textbook. I want to know if this prick is one of my students.  
I flip through the classes and pictures of students till I get to my senior class. Thank god.  
"I'm texting him," I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulder again so she can cry into me. I don't mind it, I can't even imagine how she feels.  
I go to her messages.  
Me: can I at least know who the girl is? I think I deserve to know at least that  
Prim looks at what I put as I press send. He doesn't need to know its me.  
Cole: well um...it's your sister  
Prim snorts and rolls her eyes.  
"What a fucking asshole!" She shouts.  
"I don't even know how to reply to this." I say. I'm silent for a long time.  
Me: bullshit. Katniss is married  
Cole: well she's cheating on her husband with me. I told him, you know. Like two seconds ago  
Then I get a picture of a screenshot of his calls, the last one from one minute ago, the number is Peeta's.  
panic floods my veins and I shrug off his jacket, going inside.  
Peeta looks up, his face neutral. He knows, obviously.  
"It's not true," I say.  
Prim comes inside, crying harder.  
She hands the phone to Peeta.  
He's silent for a long time.  
"Peeta, I swear to god-" I try.  
"I know it's not true. You wouldn't do that." He says. "And I'm actually shocked you think I thought it was true."  
I shove my hands in my back pockets, rocking on my heels.  
"Sorry?" I say, more like a question than an apology. He shrugs.  
"Prim, I'm sorry you spent any time with this asshole. I know you love him but he's a disgrace to human nature and a bitch and a prick. Don't dwell on this, it's a waist of your damn time." Peeta says. My jaw drops, along with everyone else's.  
I cough awkwardly and step forward, placing my hand on his forehead.  
"Are you okay?" I ask. He rolls his eyes.  
"Not really," he says.  
I drop my hand.  
"I hate him." He says. "I hate him wig a burning passion and I bet everyone else on the planet does too. He's a disgrace and I feel bad for his parents." Then, without a word, he goes upstairs.  
I think that's the most angry I've seen him...ever.  
I sigh and go outside. I get his jacket, the file and the two textbooks.  
I go inside and drop them on the table, taking Noah back from Johanna.  
I press on his belly gently. It's squishy, which means he doesn't need to be burped.  
"So you got the job then?" Finn demands. I nod.  
"Yeah...I don't think I've seen him that mad since..." I think for a while. "For a long time." I say. "Maybe not ever. I knew those words were in my vocabulary, but Peeta's?" I shake my head. "That's absurd,"  
"What got him so worked up?" Mrs. Mellark questions.  
I look at Prim, who nods.  
"Jared broke up with Prim by telling her he's seeing someone else. I asked who it was and he said your sister. And then he said that he called and told Peeta, which he did. And now Peeta's pissed because Cole said that." I say. Mom flinches.  
"Is he one of your students?" She asks.  
I shake my head.  
"What about Peeta?" Mrs. Mellark asks, sounding worried.  
"No clue," I pat Noah's butt. "I'm gonna go and check on him..." I trail off.  
Prim still looks upset, but she takes Noah from me.  
I go upstairs and slip into our bedroom.  
He's on the balcony, leaning on the railing. I feel so bad for him. He just got a call from his sister in laws boyfriend telling him that his wife is cheating on him with him. Obviously he believed him for at least a second and then realized that I wouldn't do that. I know that's exactly what I would have done. But imagine that! That's like torture!  
I walk out onto the balcony.  
"I'm so sorry," I whisper. He doesn't look back at me.  
"Why?" He says.  
"Because I can't imagine being told something like that, whether you believe him or not." I say. He shrugs, silent.  
"I guess..." We're silent for a long time. "So are you going to tell me what was wrong earlier?" He asks.  
"Oh...that." I sigh. "I was upset because of how everyone loves me. Johanna posted that video and then everything with my dad and then me being kidnapped...I don't know, I guess it just upset me." I say. "I don't like being center of attention. Especially the attention of a ton of people, some of them I don't even know."  
"Do you regret it?" He whispers.  
I look up at him.  
"Regret what?" I ask.  
"Us getting back together. You wrote that song to get us back together and that's what started everything..." He trails off.  
"No. I don't regret it. I will never regret it. Getting back together with you I think was the most right thing I've done in my entire life and I don't regret it for a single second." I say. He nods.  
"Good," he says. We're silent for a few minutes. I yawn and he looks at me. "Do you need anything? Want anything?" He asks. I go to say no, but I realize I do want something, desperately.  
"One thing," I say, releasing my grip on the rail and turning to him.  
"Hmm?" He asks.  
"Kiss me," I whisper. He takes my face in his hands without hesitation and joins our lips.  
I melt into him, raising my arms so they're around his neck, standing on my tiptoes.  
He trails his hands down my back, coming to rest at the small of my back. I tilt my head back, deepening the kiss. I tighten my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.  
Did I mention that he's a really, really good kisser and that I miss his lips desperately?  
My breathing gets labored and uneven. I ignore it and continue kissing him.  
Eventually though, I'm forced to pull away because I'm lightheaded.  
I rest my head against his chest, gasping. He's breathing quickly but not gasping like me. He laughs quietly and rubs my back for a while, long after my breathing is completely back to normal.  
I force myself away from him when I begin to fall asleep.  
"I love you," I whisper, pecking his lips.  
"I love you too," he whispers back.  
I hear Noah crying from downstairs. He's probably tired.  
I trail my hand down his arm, not wanting to let go but knowing I need to.  
I let my hand linger and then sigh and go back in the house, downstairs. I'm really tired.  
I take Noah from Prim and lay down on the couch.  
I heard that the mothers heartbeat calms the baby, so I place his head right over my heart. It's true, because he calms down.  
Eventually, he falls asleep.  
I see Rye is closest to the diaper bag.  
"Hey, can you get me a blanket?" I ask.  
He nods and gets a blanket from the bag, tossing it to me.  
I catch it and cover Noah. His hand is right on my boob but I don't care. He looks adorable.  
"I'm gonna end up falling-" I'm cut off by a yawn. "Asleep," I finish.  
"Go ahead honey," Mom says gently.  
I really don't want to because I've slept so much today. It's like seven thirty, eight at night.  
I can't fight it. I drape my arm over Noah so he doesn't fall off the couch.  
I shift into a more comfortable position and drift off.

I wake up to whispers and the words "so cute" and "mamas boy" and "adorable" and a ton of clicking.  
"Okay, now I'm waking her up." I hear Peeta say.  
"No! This picture should be published! It's adorable!" Johanna argues.  
"It's nine at night! She needs to eat dinner." Peeta says.  
"She's fine," Jared argues.  
"She's not fine. She needs to eat. She's not just feeding herself anymore." Peeta replies.  
"Just wait till she's awake." Mom says.  
There's a short silence.  
"She's already awake." Peeta says.  
"She is not," Finn says. "I think I know a little better then you..."  
"She's awake," Peeta repeats.  
I know for a fact that he hates being wrong; especially when it comes to me.  
Luckily, my phone starts ringing on the coffee table.  
I hold my arm out for it , forcing my eyes open.  
"Told you," Peeta says. The entire family is crowded around the couch. Peeta hands me my phone.  
I look at the number. I don't know it but I answer it anyways.  
"Hello?" I ask, vivid tiredness laced into my voice.  
"Katniss? It's Cole." He says. "Will you go out with me?" He asks.  
I raise my eyebrows.  
"No. I'm married." I say, shifting Noah so I can get up.  
"So! He's gonna divorce you anyways! Come on! I left your sister for you!" He say.  
"He's not going to divorce me and you were an idiot to leave my sister." I hang up and drop my phone on the floor, swearing when it falls into a drink.  
"Was that Cole?" Peeta demands. His eyes are black. I think about lying but I have no reason to.  
"Yes," I say.  
He gets my phone from the cup and sets it down on the coffee table. It's life proof, so it's not gonna break.  
"What did he want?" He presses.  
I really shouldn't tell him.  
I sit up, moving Noah so he's cradled in my arms.  
"He..." I pause, standing up. "He asked me out." I say.  
He looks like he wants to break something.  
He shoves his hands in his pockets. His veins are sticking out of his arms so I know his hands are in fists.  
I sigh and turn around, taking Noah upstairs.  
He follows me, leading me into the nursery.  
I lay Noah in the crib, turn on the mobile and watch as he flicks on the baby monitor.  
He follows me back downstairs.  
"And then what did you say?" He demands.  
"I told him I was married..." I trail off.  
"And then...?" He presses, sounding pissed and annoyed.  
I sigh sharply.  
"It doesn't matter," I say.  
He looks angrier.  
"What the hell do you mean it doesn't matter?" He says loudly. We're back I'm the living room. My back and stomach hurt from my period and I'm moody. I whip around.  
"I mean it doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything. He's a teenager Peeta! He hardly knows what he's doing in life! He doesn't know what he wants!" I say.  
"So your fine with this?" He bursts.  
"Keep your voice down," I say. He clenches his jaw. I know he's livid. "And you know damn well I'm not fine with it, but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it." I say.  
"You could tell him to stop. Tell him that your married, maybe?" He says.  
Is he seriously mad at me. I want so badly to slap him, that song by P!nk popping into my mind. True love. I force myself to stay calm, although I know my eyes are black with anger. "I told him." I say, gritting my teeth.  
"But he didn't stop, an now your just letting it happen!" He bursts.  
I grab my phone off the coffee table, throwing my hands up into the air and grabbing my jacket off the back of the couch.  
"You know what? I give up! Your not even listening to a word I'm saying right now! Just leave me the hell alone until you calm down."  
"Where are you going?" He demands.  
"I don't even know!" I say as I slide on my boots.  
"What if Noah wakes up and he's hungry?" He asks.  
"Then call me and I'll come home. Actually, no, have someone else call me. Just leave me alone." I walk out the front door, pulling on my jacket.  
It's nine at night and pitch black outside. There's no such thing as street lights in this town.  
I don't even care.  
I stomp down the driveway. I don't look back because I know he's either at the door or on the porch.  
I'm not going far, for Noah's sake.  
I hide in a bush till he looks away, watching while the family shouts at him.  
Mrs. Mellark looks pissed. My jaw drops when she slaps him.  
I sit down on the ground, watching in anticipation.  
Peeta doesn't do anything.  
What about Noah! They're screaming, I can hear them from here. There's no way he's not awake and screaming, probably terrified right now.  
I see Jessica look annoyed and then she disappears upstairs.  
She comes back down with Noah, who is screaming hysterically.  
Peeta's probably the most angry I have ever seen him in my entire life.  
Boy am I glad most of the living room is glass, so I can clearly see everything.  
Anger, blinding rage courses through my veins when I see Jessica tell Peeta, by reading her lips, "you need to calm him down" and then Peeta shakes his head.  
Okay, I can get why he's pissed as mad as he is right now, but his son is screaming, probably terrified, hardly even able to stay awake because of how young he is and he needs help and he said no!  
Everyone looks even more livid.  
I'm livid, more angry right now than I have been in my entire life time.  
I fly up into the house, my hands in fists.  
They all keep shouting at him and he's actually shouting back.  
I can't believe it when I say this, but I slap Peeta.  
Mom drops her glass and it shatters, the entire room falling silent except for the sound of Noah's screaming.  
I grab Noah and go upstairs, taking the diaper bag with me.  
I go into the nursery and start to shove things into it that he could possible need, then I go into my bedroom and get everything I need.  
I pick Noah up off the bed and kiss his forehead, tears sliding down my cheeks.  
I go back downstairs and grab my car keys.  
He doesn't even try to stop me. He knows when my mind is made up, there's no going back.  
I grab the blanket off the couch and wrap Noah in it, unlocking my car and Peeta's.  
"Katniss-" Finn begins. I shake my head.  
"Don't even try," I whisper.  
"Katniss-" Annie tries.  
Noah's not crying anymore and the house and deadly silent. Peeta's gonna cry, I know that for a 100% fact.  
"Your a fucking dick," Jared says to him. Yes! Maybe Jared can talk some sense into him. "Your newborn son was crying and you refused to take care of him! Now your wife and child are leaving you and you don't even try to stop them!" His voice is raising.  
"Because I know how Katniss works. I'm not gonna try to stop her because she's just gonna get more pissed."  
"So what! It's doesn't fucking hurt to try!" Rye bursts. He punches Peeta and Peeta doesn't even do anything, he just takes it.  
And I swear my heart shatters when he doesn't even attempt to stop me. I bet my eyes are almost completely white from sadness.  
I stare at him, tears threatening to spill.  
Mrs. Mellark starts crying when the next words leave Peeta's lips.  
"Want help?"  
I shake my head.  
"You know, I thought you'd have at least tried to stop me." I look up at the ceiling. "But instead your helping..." I fight a sob. "Your helping me leave."  
"Well you wouldn't listen anyways." He says.  
"So? I would try to stop you." I look down at Noah. "You know what? Fuck it. Never mind."  
"Katniss wait," Rye says. Even he looks upset. They all do.  
I don't even know where I'm going anymore.  
"Don't go." Rye begs. "He doesn't know what he's saying right now! You know that best!" He says.  
"He really don't Katniss, you know that." Graham pitches in.  
"Katnus?" Audrey whispers. She's four years old and she understands. "Don't go Katnus!" She sobs. "Please!"  
I don't want to. I really don't want to.  
But he's not even trying to stop me! He's acting like he doesn't love me, or Noah! I know he does and I know damn well that the second that door closes behind me, he's going to be chasing me down, literally, but...he acts like he doesn't care about...about Noah or me or...anything.  
"Why should I stay? Give me one good reason." I say. They're all silent.  
"Because I said please!" Audrey whines, stomping her foot.  
Other then that, they're silent. Prim is shooting daggers at Peeta.  
"Katniss, think." Prim says. "If the positions were reversed, you wouldn't be begging either!" She says.  
"Yes I would! I'd be crying, pleading with him-" I cut off, silent tears slipping down my cheeks. I suck on a shaky breath.  
"What do you expect me to say!" Peeta bursts. "I know your doubting that I don't love you and Noah right now but Katniss, come on! I messed up so bad and I don't even want you to stop leaving because I want you to be happy! If you think leaving is what's best for you and Noah then I'm going let you do it because I want what's best for you! I don't even have a good reason why you should stay! There is no good reason why you should stay!" He says. "Of course I don't want you to go! This-" he gestures at me and Noah wildly. "Is like watching my entire life slip through my fingertips!" He's frantic. "And no matter how much it hurts to watch, I'm going to let you make the decision to do what you think is best!" He says. "I know I fucked up big time! I should have done something to help Noah and I should have walked away so I could calm down but I didn't and I'm sorry! I'm not ever going to do that again." He says. "But I want you and Noah to be happy, and if being away from me is what makes you happy then I'm gonna let you do it."  
"You know that being away from you kills me." I whisper.  
"Then what the hell are you doing?" He asks, sounding desperate. I swallow the lump in my throat.  
"I don't know." I whisper. "I don't want to go."  
He doesn't say for me not to go, which tells me that he's dead serious.  
"Well then what the fuck are you doing?" Jo bursts.  
"I don't know! I hardly even know what's going on anymore!" I say. "I'm just tired and I want to go to bed!" I whine. I feel so guilty for slapping him that it hurts.  
"So go to bed!" Mrs. Mellark says desperately. "Go upstairs and put Noah in the crib and then go to bed!" She begs. "Please?"  
"P-please Katnus?" Audrey whispers.  
Peeta can't hide the begging and hope in his eyes.  
What the fuck am I doing?  
I grab the keys again, everyone's expressions going frantic.  
But I lock the cars and drop the bags.  
"I swear I'm going more insane each day." I mutter as I walk past Peeta, going upstairs.  
I rest Noah into his crib and then go into our bedroom. I want to sob, I want to cry and scream and punch the wall over the fact that I almost fucked up everything I've been working at. Because of my stupid idiotic ways I almost took Noah and left Peeta.  
My life without Peeta would be more pleasant in hell then in would be here.  
I drop my jacket on the floor and lean against the wall, shaking with silent sobs.  
Less than a minute later, arms envelop me.  
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispers. I sob into his chest, muttering how stupid I am and how I almost lost my entire life and that I was going to be walking right into hell on earth the second the dock shut behind me and then I begin to apologize a hundred miles a minute, not even really caring when he starts to strip me down to my bra and underwear and then dressing me in his shirt, which smells just like him.  
I cry harder. He changes into just sweatpants and then puts all our clothes into the hamper and picks me up, carrying me to the bed.  
He lays me down and covers me and then slides onto his side, pulling me against him, holding me until I cry myself to sleep.

Okay, I know this was really dramatic but I thought it was necessary. I don't think Peeta was overreacting and next chapter we'll find out why exactly he didn't take Noah.  
Seriously nobody answered me, what do you think of them being teachers?  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything  
-KatPeeta22


	28. Chapter 28

**Sorry this is so short...**

I wake up to a soft wail filling the bedroom. My face feels crusty and damp from tears and Peeta is gone.  
I sit up, frantic.  
He's coming in here with Noah.  
"Katniss honey, he's really hungry." He says. I must have slept right through him wake up.  
I hold my arms out for him and he hands him to me.  
I pull off my shirt and pull down my bra, half awake. I move him to he can latch on. He does, suckling hungrily. I start to drift off and eventually fall asleep completely.

...

The next time I wake up, Noah is gone, I'm no longer exposed and its morning. I hear noises downstairs and thumps and the clacking of pans in the kitchen, the smell of bacon and eggs wafting up the stairs. Did Peeta seriously take care of Noah all night?  
I stumble out of bed, tripping and falling, catching myself at the last second.  
Stupid sheets.  
I untangle the sheet from me feet and run my fingers through my snarled hair.  
I'm only in Peeta's shirt.  
I yawn and slide on sweatpants.  
I stretch, my tense muscles cracking.  
I go into the master bathroom and brush my teeth.  
Then I slip out of the bedroom and go downstairs.  
"There she is!" Rye says when he sees me. Everyone is happy and joyful, all laughing or smiling. Theres even some christmas music playing. Oh right, it's Christmas Eve. Peeta and Mr. Mellark are nowhere to be seen.  
Cinna has Noah, who is wide awake and looking around, interested.  
"Sleep well?" Mom asks. I nod, scrubbing my hands over my face.  
"You look dead," Jo notes, causing me to laugh a bit.  
"Thank you, you're so nice to me." I say sarcastically.  
"Your welcome, Brainless." She says happily, high-fiving me.  
I roll my eyes.  
I jump slightly when arms envelop me from behind and then sigh at my stupidness and lean into his touch.  
"Sleep well?" Peeta whispers in my ear.  
"Mmm hmm," I mumble, tilting my head back to look up at him as he stares right down at me. Then I turn around in his arms and wrap my arms around his waist. He pecks my nose and then my lips. None of us bring up last night. There's no reason to, anyways. It's done. Why dwell on something in the past?  
Or so I thought.  
"You know that was a close call last night." Mom remarks.  
I tense slightly. Why the fuck does she have to go and do that?  
I don't let myself get angry with her.  
"Yeah, it was. Would you two have gotten divorced?" Mrs. Mellark presses further. Everyone is quiet now, probably all wondering the same thing.  
"No. All of you thought I was leaving forever. It was only going to be for today. Just so he could completely calm down." I say into Peeta's chest, tightening me grip on him.  
"Oh..." Annie trails off.  
"What I really want to know is why you wouldn't take Noah when he was crying." Mr. Mellark begins. Peeta sighs loudly.  
I release him and step back.  
"Did you guys not see how angry I was? I probably would have held him too right or hurt him or something! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that!" He bursts. "I didn't mean to upset you guys, but honestly, it was for Noah's benefit."  
"Well that makes a ton of sense." Jared says. I cough awkwardly.  
"I'm uh...sorry I slapped you." I say. He laughs.  
"It's fine," he says.  
Audrey giggles.  
"We're sleeping down here tonight! Will Santa still come?" She asks me, her eyes wide. I look at Jessica, who nods.  
I kneel down in front of her.  
"Only if your sleeping!" I say, tapping her nose. Her eyes widen and she jumps up, grabbing pillows off the couch and some blankets. She begins to assemble them directly in front of the lit fireplace.  
"Maddie come on Santa won't come unless we are sleeping!" She says frantically. I smile.  
"You have to be sleeping tonight!" I say.  
She looks up at me.  
"I don't have to sleep now?" She asks, her eyes saucers. I laugh.  
"No. Not right now." I say. She sighs happily.  
"I wasn't even tired, anyways!" She says, putting the pillows back on the couch. I smile. She's so adorable.  
She sits down on the floor.  
"Do babies get stuff from Santa too? Will Noah?" She asks nobody in particular.  
"Of course sweetie," Jessica says.  
"I'm surprised he's not hungry." Peeta says, slinging his arm around my shoulder. "He hasn't eaten since two last night." He notes.  
"Speaking of," I begin. "Why did you watch him all night?" I ask.  
"Because you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you." He says. "And you looks so cute that I couldn't bring myself to wake you anyways." He says. "Except for when he was hungry." He adds.  
"How many times did he wake up?" I ask. He hesitates and holds up three fingers. "Well then I have to stay up with him tonight. That's not fair." I say. He shakes his head.  
"We can take turns." He says.  
"We didn't last night," I argue.  
"Well then starting tonight, we will, okay?" He asks gently. A sigh escapes my lips.  
"Fine," I say.  
Of course jinked Noah being hungry, because he begins to cry.  
"You jinked him being hungry," I say. He rolls his eyes.  
"I did not," he says.  
"Wanna bet?" I say. I really want to hold Noah so I'm glad he's crying.  
I walk over to Cinna and lift Noah from his arms.  
I grab a blanket and cover myself, still standing.  
The second I'm exposed, he falls silent.  
"Told you," I say, sticking my tongue out at Peeta.  
"Keep it up," he says. I roll my eyes.  
"You don't scare me," I say.  
"No but I can deprive you." He says.  
"You wouldn't dare." I say.  
"Just for that, I'm gonna do it." He says. All the teenagers and adults snicker.  
"This is going to be the most interesting holiday..." Prim says.  
Peeta snaps his fingers.  
"Cut off," he says. I roll my eyes.  
"You know that deprives you, too. And I think we're all aware that I'm going to make sure to drive you crazy." I say.  
"No because I'm gonna stay away from you." He argues. I laugh.  
"Good luck with that." I retort. Noah pulls away from me.  
I cover myself and then go upstairs to the nursery.  
I get a burp towel and begin to burp him.  
Eventually, he burps.  
I toss the towel in the hamper and then rock him to sleep, kissing his cheek and then placing him in his crib.  
I go into our bedroom and pull on a red long sleeve shirt that hangs off once shoulder and then pull on white jeans. I brush my hair, spray on a ton of sweet pea, because I know it drives Peeta absolutely wild and start to head downstairs. I make sure to walk quickly past Peeta, so he'll get a short whiff of the sweet pea, but just enough to drive him wild. He inhales deeply and an evil smirk appears on my lips. I look back at him.  
"Something wrong?" I ask innocently. His eyes are already dark. He coughs.  
"Nope, just dandy." He says.  
"Okay," I say, calling him a liar in my head.  
Prim is the only one that doesn't look happy. I wrote a song for something like this, just because.  
I still have my guitar.  
"I think we need someone to sing a song." Lauren says.  
"I will," I say. I hesitate. "I'll be right back..." I sigh nervously and jog upstairs.  
I get the guitar and go back down.  
"Is this another song you've wrote and not told us about?" Annie asks excitedly. I bite my lip and nod.  
"I didn't have a meaning for it before...I wrote it when we were stuck in that hurricane. I remembered a movie and I got the idea..." I sigh and sit down. I think they're gonna know its for Prim. They all probably already know.  
I clear my throat and begin to strum. (This is stronger by Kelly Clarkson)

_You know the bed feels warmer_  
_Sleeping here alone_  
_You know I dream in colour_  
_And do the things I want_

_You think you got the best of me_  
_Think you've had the last laugh_  
_Bet you think that everything good is gone_  
_Think you left me broken down_  
_Think that I'd come running back_  
_Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong_

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_  
_Stand a little taller_  
_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone_  
_What doesn't kill you makes a fighter_  
_Footsteps even lighter_  
_Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone_

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger_  
_Just me, myself and I_  
_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_  
_Stand a little taller_  
_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone_

_You heard that I was starting over with someone new_  
_They told you I was moving on over you_

_You didn't think that I'd come back_  
_I'd come back swinging_  
_You try to break me, but you see_

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_  
_Stand a little taller_  
_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone_  
_What doesn't kill you makes a fighter_  
_Footsteps even lighter_  
_Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone_

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger_  
_Just me, myself and I_  
_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_  
_Stand a little taller_  
_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone_

_Thanks to you I got a new thing started_  
_Thanks to you I'm not the broken-hearted_  
_Thanks to you I'm finally thinking about me_  
_You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning_  
_In the end..._

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_  
_Stand a little taller_  
_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone_  
_What doesn't kill you makes a fighter_  
_Footsteps even lighter_  
_Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone_

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger_  
_Just me, myself and I_  
_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_  
_Stand a little taller_  
_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone_

_(When I'm alone)_

When I'm done, everyone is silent.  
Then, Prim grins and hugs me.  
"I needed that," she says. I smile.  
"I know you did." I whisper. Then, she pull out her phone.  
She gestures for everyone to be silent.  
"Cole? Yeah, hi. I just wanted to let you know that your the most arrogant, rude, disrespectful human being I have ever met. Your rude and disgusting. I'm sorry I spent a single second of my life with you. Oh, and just letting you know, I'm not going to be dwelling on you, because you've made me stronger." She hangs up on him.  
Everyone is shocked.  
I stand up and high five her.  
"That's my sister!" I say. She grins.  
"I can't wait till he shows up in math on Monday." She says. My stomach plummets.  
"What?" I ask. She frowns.  
"He's in my class." She says.  
She grabs the file which is still on the coffee table and flips through it. "His real name is Collin but everyone calls him Cole. See? Collin Kade." She points him out.  
I rip the file from her hands and flip through it to the pictures of the students.  
"Oh god, you have Megan Parker." She groans. "That bitch is so stupid." I roll my eyes and flip to my sixth period; the senior class.  
I see Prim's picture and some other kids and then I see Cole's. I groan loudly and slam the file shut.  
"Well don't expect me to be nice to him." I say, crossing my arms across my chest.  
"You have to. You have no idea how much everyone freaks out in that class." She says. I sigh loudly.  
"What exactly am I walking into?" I demand.  
"Well...the first teacher got fired for hitting a kid, and then eventually all the substitutes have hit a kid. Every single kid in all the classes has been hit. So everyone is going to be thinking they're going to be hit." She says.  
"You've been hit?" I ask. She nods.  
"Well shit," I say.

**I don't want to do Christmas so I'm just skipping to the first day of school. **  
**Disclaimer: I don't own anything **  
**-KatPeeta22**


	29. Chapter 29

**YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO KILL ME **  
**YOU'LL SEE WHY AT THE END AND YOU PROBABLY WON'T WANT TO READ ANYMORE BUT DO IT ANYWAYS **  
**AND I'M SKIPPING AHEAD TWO YEARS AFTER THIS...**

I swear to god I'm going to be sick. I'm so nervous. Yesterday, Peeta and I went to work and met all the teachers. They're all nice and told us if we need help for anything at all, don't hesitate to go to us. They're really happy we have the positions filled.  
But now today is the day back for the students, so this is the first actual real day, with the students. It's four in the morning and we're getting ready.  
"It feels like I'm actually in high school again." I say to Peeta  
"I know," he agrees. I'm not dressing up. Prim says none of the teachers do and I actually asked yesterday, simply because I don't want my sister pulling shit. So I'm wearing a normal outfit. Well sort of normal. It's a long sleeve tan dress that goes to a few inches above my thighs and then with lift leather boots that go to a few inches below the knee.  
I use a wand to curl my hair in small curls.  
Peeta turns around and stares at me.  
"Holy shit!" He says. I raise my eyebrows.  
"I didn't know you knew that word." I tease, coating on deodorant and spraying on sweet pea. Mom is dropping Prim off and picking up Noah. I teay don't want to leave him. I've grown attached to him. After work today, Allison is flying in to take out my stitches.  
I put my phone in the pocket of the dress and run my fingers through the curls. There's no hair spray. My hair doesn't need it.  
Peeta's just going on a long sleeve white shirt that hugs him and jeans. He's still hot.  
"You look incredible." He says.  
"How?" I ask.  
"By just living." He replies. I hear a knock on the front door.  
I go downstairs, flipping on the lights. I unlock the front door and pull open.  
"You look nice," Prim says, walking into the house. Noah is sleeping soundly in his carseat, all bundled up.  
"Are you sure you can watch him? I have no problem taking him not work with me." I say worriedly.  
"Katniss, I know you don't want to leave him, but if you take him into a building full of teenagers when he's not even a month, he's going to be miserable." Mom says gently. I sigh and nod.  
"Call if anything happens." I say.  
"I will," she says.  
She picks up the carseat and leaves.  
"Did you eat breakfast?" Peeta asks Prim, heading for the kitchen. We both follow him.  
"Nope." She says.  
He tosses me and her a granola bar.  
"Lets go," he says.  
I only need my phone since Peeta is driving us. Prim is to come to my room after school and then stay with us till we leave. She's ecstatic she doesn't have to take the bus anymore.  
I'm freaking out because everyone is going to be terrified of my class and I want to know how bad it is.  
We head outside and get into the car.  
It's four thirty and when we get there it will be like six thirty. That will give us about thirty five minutes to bullshit, although students will start coming sooner.  
I prop my feet up on the dashboard, not caring that my dress has ridden all the way up to my underwear.  
Prim puts in her earbuds and falls asleep.  
I put in my earbuds and rest my head against the window.  
I must doze off, because the next thing I'm conscious of is someone shaking my shoulder.  
I yank out my earbuds and rub my eyes. We're at the school.  
I stretch and drop my feet from the dashboard.  
I get out of the car and let Prim lead us somewhere.  
"Sadly the only way to get to your guy's class is through the cafeteria, which is full of students." She says.  
I groan and shove my phone and earbuds into my dress pocket.  
Peeta "cutting me off" lasted hardly an hour. I walked past him without even thinking and he grabbed my wrist and kissed me and then when we broke apart he said "I give up"  
I swear I laughed for an hour.  
"And your all over the news lately..." Prim trails off as she leads us inside.  
She's right, the place is full of students. Mrs. Clark is walking around the cafeteria, watching students. Some of them look nervous. She waves at me and Peeta and we wave back  
"They're nervous for your class." Prim explains.  
My stomach drops. "Is it seriously that bad?" I ask.  
She stops walking and turns to me.  
"Did you think we were joking?" She asks. I shake my head. "Good." She turns around and keeps walking, flicking off Cole on the way. I snicker.  
"She gets that from you." Peeta says. We're not holding hands, even though I want to.  
"Bullshit," I say. The gold thing about high school is nobody really cares about language.  
"Seriously. She does." He says. I roll my eyes. "Well she doesn't get it from your Mom." He notes.  
"Yeah but she could get it from my dad." I say. He shakes his head.  
"Your dad isn't like that." He looks around. "No offense, but your dad is an asshole." He says.  
"None taken. He's a prick and I hate him." I pause and stop walking, turning to face him, thankful none of the students have noticed me. "You realize I was dead serious when I said that I don't want Noah who he is, right?" I ask. "He doesn't need that in his head, no matter how little he is." I say.  
"I know you were serious." He says.  
"Good," I say.  
Prim leads us to my class.  
"I'm going to my friends. Bye," she waves and walks off, leaving me and Peeta alone.  
"Do you know how to work this?" I ask, gesturing to the smart board.  
"Yeah," he says.  
He starts up my laptop and does something, explaining all of it to me.  
He shows me how to get a blank page.  
"See?" He picks up the red pen and draws a line.  
I nod and pick up green, drawing a line.  
He sets the red pen down.  
I put down the green on and erase the line.  
"Let me show you am easier way." He says gently.  
He scribbles all over the board and then takes the eraser. He circles everything and then taps the middle.  
"Cool," I breathe. He puts the eraser down and I scribble all over the board and then draw a circle around everything with the eraser and tap the middle. It disappears.  
I sigh.  
"I'm really nervous," I whisper.  
"Don't be," he murmurs, leaning down and kissing me gently for a minute. "Your going to be a perfect teacher." The bell telling students they can head to class rings. He rubs his thumb across my cheekbone and gives me another kiss.  
"I'll see you at lunch." He whispers.  
He kisses my forehead and walks off.  
I go to the site to take attendance for first period and wait, drumming my fingers on my desk.  
I'm going to give them a test today, after I teach them how to do it. It'll take me two seconds to teach it. It's just a two step equation. But first I have to see if they can do one step.  
Students start to file in, their eyes widening. They don't say a word as they take their seats.  
"Are you our teacher?" I know all the students names because I've been studying them. They don't have a single A in this class. This is Megan, that chick Prim was talking about.  
"Yes, Megan." I say.  
The tardy bell rings and I quickly take attendance.  
"Okay," I push away from my chair and stand up. "You guys can call me Mrs. Mellark." That's weird because it reminds me of Peeta's Mom, who has told me countless times to call her Renee. I guess I'm gonna start calling her Renee. "I am your teacher. No more substitutes. Nobody in this class will ever get hurt or smacked or penalized for not understanding." I say. "And yes, you can use your cell phones, just not when I'm teaching." I say. They all nod. "Okay, I'm just going to write some problems down on the board because I want to see where you guys are at." I say.  
I pick up the green pen and put 6x=12  
"Does anyone know how to do this?" I ask. The entire class raises their hands. "Okay, Winston, come on." I say.  
He slowly raises and walks to the front of the class, looking extremely nervous.  
He stays far away from me.  
I set down the green pen and stand back.  
He draws a line under the 6x and the 12 and writes a six under each of them, crossing off the 6's and then writing x=2  
"Good, okay." I say.  
He sets down the pen and scurries back to his seat.  
I rewarded the board.  
"Okay, what about this?" I ask, writing down 5x+10=100  
The room is dead silent.  
"Does anyone know how to do this?" I ask.  
They all look terrified. One kid drops his head on his desk, and the other ones are flinching.  
"Okay then," I say. "It's simple, really." I begin. I start to write.  
I put; Two-Step Equation: An equation that needs two steps to solve.  
Example: 5x-6=9  
Step 1: Add 6 to both sides: 5x=15  
Step 2: Divide both sides by 5: x=3  
"Okay, copy that down in your spiral's or on a piece of paper." I say.  
Everyone pulls out their notebook. Kaile raises her hand, trembling.  
"I-I ran out of paper and I-I don't have a spiral." She says.  
I get a ton of paper and walk over to her.  
"There, now you have some for your other classes." I say, going back to the front.  
She stares at me, shocked.  
"Thanks," she begins to write. I go back to the front and wait.  
"Okay, are you guys done?" They all nod.  
"Okay," I say. Then I begin to teach them how to do it. They listen intently, every one of them paying attention  
"Is it 18?" Harbor asks.  
"Yeah," I say. He grins.  
I put up 5x+110=100  
The answer is -2  
I walk around the room, stopping some of them.  
Kalie is doing it completely wrong. She's adding 110 and then multiplying 5.  
I kneel down to her level.  
"Hang on," I say gently.  
I erase her board and help her understand. She nods and fixes her work.  
*im skipping to after school because I can't concentrate on right now because I have an idea and I can't think of anything other than this*

...

"I'm honestly scared to grade these papers." I say to Peeta after he comes downstairs from putting Noah in his crib.  
Today was okay. Cole didn't say a word to me and I didn't say a word to him. He knew exactly how to do the math; thank god.  
But there's something up with Peeta. He's been acting weird.  
He sits down on the couch across from me. It's six right now.  
"It'll be fine. I'm gonna go make dinner." He sets his phone on the coffee table and walks off to the kitchen without another word.  
I want to know what's bugging him but I know he'll tell me when he's ready. I begin to grade the papers.  
His phone vibrates on the table, the home button facing me.  
I look down to make sure it's not a phone call. It's not, it's a text. I go to look away but the corner of my eye sees the word "baby" and my eyes snap back to the screen.  
Delly: okay baby, just get her out of the house. I'll be over in an hour.  
I narrow my eyes.  
No, don't do it. This is his privacy and I'm not about to invade it.  
Delly: and make sure you have a condom because I don't have any  
I clench my jaw. Don't do it!  
My curiosity gets the best of me and I pick up his phone, unlocking it.  
Delly: hey  
Peeta: hey  
Delly: what are you doing tonight?  
Peeta: don't start  
Delly: because I wanted to know if you would you know...if you would would have sex with me. You love Katniss, right? And she said she wants you to be happy. Since she just had the baby and can't have sex with you, will you have sex with me?  
Peeta: yes of course  
Delly: okay baby, just get her out of the house. I'll be over in an hour.  
Delly: and make sure you have a condom because I don't have any  
I quickly screenshot all of the texts and send them to my phone. I delete the evidence of me sending them to myself.  
I put his phone down on the table and stand up slowly.  
"Peeta Ryan, get your ass in here!" I shout.  
He walks into the living room.  
"What's wrong?" He asks.  
"What's wrong?" I burst. I laugh evilly. "Who the fuck is Delly!" I shout. His eyes widen.  
"Katniss-"  
"She's your fuck buddy! That's who she is!" I shout.  
"She is not my fuck buddy!" He shouts back.  
"Then what is she? Your girlfriend? Are you friends with benifits?" I hiss. "What am I not good enough for you? Is that it?"  
"Katniss!" He bursts. "I am not fucking Delly. I am not kissing her." He says.  
"Well I don't believe you!" I say loudly, trying not to cry. He's cheating on me with some bitch named Delly and he won't even admit it.  
"You don't have to believe me!" He hisses.  
"Well good, because I don't." I say. "And you don't even have the courage to admit it!" I hiss.  
"There's nothing to admit!" He shouts. I clench my jaw. I'm gonna do it.  
"Leave," I say. He raises his eyebrows.  
"No." He's just as stubborn as I am. "I'm not going anywhere."  
"Well then I will." I say.  
"Katniss-" he starts.  
"No Peeta! I'm going to keep this going! It's time! I've had enough! I can't keep doing this! It's not heathy for me, it's not healthy for you and it's not healthy for Noah. And since you won't leave, then I will." I turn around and go upstairs. I haven't gotten around to getting those bags from a few weeks ago unpacked.  
I pick them up, and Noah.  
I go right downstairs.  
"Katniss please just listen." He begs.  
I grab my phone and charger, ignoring him.  
Of course Delly has to choose then to show up in a little black dress.  
I turn to Peeta.  
"Have fun," I whisper, slamming the front door behind me.  
I take Noah's carseat from his car and move it to mine.  
He screams and scream. I let him. I buckle him in, crying myself.  
I swear what hurts the most is Delly is kissing Peeta.  
I get into the drivers side of my jeep and back out.  
I speed down the road to Finn and Annie's, sobbing.  
I get out and get the bags and Noah and walk up to the front door, stepping into the house, crying heavily.  
They look up and their eyes grow wide.  
Annie takes Noah from me and I cry into my hands, collapsing.  
"Why?" I sob. "Why did he do it?"

**I KNOW YOU HATE ME IM CTYING OMG DON'T WORRY REVIEW AND STUFF BUT DON'T BE MEAN OR I'M GONNA BE PISSED **  
**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING **  
**-KATPEETA22**


	30. Chapter 30

Two years. You'd think that after two years, I'd move on.

You were mistaken.  
Noah is two. It's May ninth and I'm 23. My birthday was yesterday. I haven't spoken to Peeta, nor have I seen him.  
My family hates him.  
And his hates me.  
None of us speak. Noah and I don't live in Indiana anymore.  
But I don't live alone.  
I live with Allison.  
Today is Finnick and Annie's wedding and I'm the maid of honor.  
"Mommy!" Noah screams. He can talk now, and walk, and eat real food. Allison is here, too. "Mommy!" Noah screams again.  
I shush him. "Mommy!" He screams again. "Mommy look!" We're in the middle of the ceremony. I shoot Finn and Annie a glance of apology. The audience looks amused.  
"Mommy I'm hungry!" Noah wines.  
He gets up.  
"Noah!" I hiss. "Sit down!" He sits down in the dirt in his nice clothes. Finn and Annie are laughing now, along with the rest of the audience. He's in the first row.  
He looks so much like Peeta that it pains me to look at him.  
I step out of my place and walk over to him, pick him up under his armpits and lifting him to his feet.  
I dust off the dirt and put him back in his chair.  
"Stay there until I come get you and do not move, understand?" I whisper. He giggles.  
"I'm hungry!" He wines.  
I look at my mother, who has a lunchbox.  
She stands up and grabs Noah.  
I go back to my spot.  
"Sorry," I whisper to Finn and Annie. They laugh.  
"It's fine." Finn waves me off. I fake a smile and go back to my place.  
They continue with their vows.  
Noah climbs off my Mom's lap and starts to move towards me, tripping over Prim's feet. Prim grabs him and lifts him onto her lap, whispering in his ear. He grins, his dimples showing. Then he's silent. Prim is like 20 now.  
I can't help but think of Peeta everywhere I look. I miss him so much. I feel bad I left him, but he cheated on me and that really upsets me.  
I feel tears well in my eyes and my Mom shoots me a warning look, telling me to get a grip, at least now.  
I suck in a breath and give her a thankful look.  
Finn and Annie kiss and everyone erupts in cheers, scaring the crap out of Noah, who begins to cry.  
He's only two, so yeah, I guess it makes sense.  
We're in Florida now, because both Finn and Annie love the ocean.  
Everyone gets up and hugs them, trying to pull them away from each other. I don't pull them away, I hug them at the same time, because I know that they don't want to be separated.  
That's how I was when Peeta and I got married.  
Stop thinking about him Katniss!  
I want to see him. I want him to hold me at night and kiss me. To play catch with Noah and help him with his math homework. He's called me multiple times in the last two years.  
I still refuse to take the ring off. He's still my husband, technically.  
We'll get a divorce someday, but I'm not gonna be the one the end it. I'm waiting for him to do that.  
I haven't dated one singe guy.  
I turn to Noah, who looks panicked.  
I take his tiny hand in my own and lift him up onto my hip.  
"Daddy!" He says. My eyes bulge and I almost yell at him not to say that but I can't bring myself to do it. He's still Peeta's son, whether he's a part of his life or not.  
We're rushed into the limo and I bounce Noah on my knees. He's a giggling mess.  
Every time someone asks if I'm okay or if I'm happy or if I like to be alone, I lie and say yes, although all my family and friends know I'm not.  
"Sleepy," Noah whispers. He can't say complete sentences and most of the things he says is just babble, but sometimes you can get what he's saying.  
"Go to sleep," I whisper.  
He moves so he's sitting against me and drifts off. I kiss his blond curls.  
I didn't go back to that high school and never stepped a foot in that classroom again.  
"Katniss I still don't see why you won't take the ring off." Johanna starts.  
"I'm not taking the ring off." I say.  
"Why!" Haymitch says loudly.  
Here we go.  
"Katniss your holding on. Your never going to get over him if you don't take off the ring." Mom says.  
"Yeah! He's Noah's Daddy!" Prim says.  
"Shhhh!" I hiss.  
I'm so relieved when we get to the place of the reception, which is on a beach, at a pier.  
I move Noah and carry him, his head resting on my shoulder.  
We're escorted into an area with drinks.  
Finn and Annie swore on their lives that they wouldn't invite Peeta.  
I sit down in a chair, holding Noah.  
After a few minutes, he begins to wake up.  
"Play?" He whispers.  
"Okay baby, don't scream Mommy unless you need help, okay?" I ask. He nods and kisses me right on the lips and then gets down and runs off. I wipe off his slober, laughing.  
I go over to Prim. She got a new boyfriend, Alex. He was one of my students.  
"Hey," I fake a smile.  
"Hey-" she cuts off at the sound of someone screaming bloody murder, terrified. I hear a crash and another scream.  
"Mommy!" Noah screams on the top of his lungs, terrified. The music stops and the place goes silent. White blinding terror shoots through my veins and I start to move towards his screaming of my name repeatedly.  
He's on the floor, a chair on his legs. Someone is knelt next to him. His elbow is bleeding.  
"Mommy!" He screams again, frantic.  
"Noah, honey, I'm right here." I say, kneeling down next to him, not exactly noticing who is kneeling next to him, directly across from me. Then the person stops breathing for a second.  
I lift the chair off of him and help him sit up.  
"Honey, what happened?" I ask. He doesn't know how to answer me.  
"He uh...fell off the chair." The person across from me says quietly.  
But that voice...  
I snap my head up so fast that my vision blurs.  
Lets be honest. Everyone in this room is either friends or family, so every single one of them are aware of what is happening right now.  
But it's not just Peeta, it's his entire family.  
I want to kill Finnick and Annie.  
They fucking promised me!  
Noah begins to cry.  
"Mommy!" He whines. "Ow!"  
"Shh, it's okay." I whisper, my head down, trying to hide the tears pouring down my cheeks.  
"Mommy! No cry!" He says loudly.  
Dammit Noah.  
"I'm not crying," I whisper. There's no point.  
I sigh and wipe the tears, standing up.  
Peeta gets up too, his hands in his pocket, his eyes light blue.  
I bend down and take Noah's hand, pulling him up off the ground.  
"Come on, lets clean you up." I whisper.  
He begins to walk and I hear a ton of gasps behind me.  
He's not that good at walking. He trips a lot.  
He does trip, of course, his head slamming against the concrete ground. His screams fill the air.  
I spring forward and pick him up. He has a cut on his forehead now.  
I carry him off to the bathroom.  
He continues to scream.  
I sit him down on the counter and kiss his head.  
I dig through the basket of stuff and get two bandaids. I know he loves blue.  
"Look honey, it's your favorite color." I whisper, tears streaming down my cheeks.  
I hear loud voices outside the door, guy voices.  
Shit.  
I wipe up Noah's blood and cover his elbow with a bandaid, doing the same with his forehead.  
"Mommy! No cry!" Noah wines.  
"I'm sorry baby." I wipe my tears and force my emotions down.  
No matter how badly I want to hide in this bathroom, I know I can't. I'm going to go out there for Finn and Annie and I'm going to suck it up.  
I open the bathroom door.  
It's Rye, Graham, Mr. Mellark and Cinna.  
"Katniss your not going anywhere till you listen to me." Rye growls. How do I approach this situation?  
I'm stuck. Rye and Graham are blocking the hall out. The entire place is silent, straining to hear.  
I want to run and hide.  
But I don't. I can't. He's still my husband and yes, I'm still in love with him.  
I set Noah down on the ground.  
"How about you go and get a Cooke from Auntie Prim?" I ask him. His eyes light up and he takes off, running, shouting random words.  
No way, he knows better than that.  
"Noah honey?" I call. He stop and turns to me. "We use our inside voice inside, remember?" I whisper. His eyes grow wide, his face priceless.  
"Okay Mommy!" He whispers.  
"And no running." I say. He nods and runs anyways. I let my hands drop with a slap to my thighs. He doesn't know what running is, so he does it anyways.  
Rye blocks my way.  
"Your going to listen to me." He growls. I remain silent, my arms crossed across my chest.  
"Just let her go." Peeta speaks up.  
I'm honestly scared right now. Rye lashes out when he gets mad, and right now, he's terrified.  
Rye glares at him.  
"She needs to go an earful-"  
"I said let her go." He repeats calmly.  
Rye glares at him, stepping out of my way.  
I keep my arms crossed, trying to hide the fact that I'm still wearing the ring.  
"I know your still wearing the ring." Rye hisses as I pass him.  
You know, I wonder if he ever found the pregnancy test in his VCR.  
"Mommy! Auntie Prim! Why? Cooke?" Noah wines. Everyone looks confused.  
"Katniss I don't know what he's saying." Prim says. I laugh.  
"He said that I told him that you would give him a cookie." I say. She looks confused.  
"Are you sure?" She asks. "Because-"  
"Noah, want a cookie?" I ask.  
"Okay!" He says. I smile. I only smile for real when I'm around him. "Milkshake? Ice cream? CANDY!" He screams.  
I kneel down in front of him.  
"Now if I give you all that your gonna rot your teeth and be fat, little mister!" I say, pinching his baby fat a tiny bit and shaking it. He giggles and I smile.  
"I can run outside!" He says. "Like Mickey Mouse! Please Mama?" He asks. I know I can only understand him. It's like a mother-son language. It's normal mother-father but...I sigh.  
"No honey, you can have a cookie but your not having all of that." I say. He pouts. "But if your really good, I may take you out for ice cream tomorrow." I say, lowering my voice like its a secret. His lips form an "O" his eyes wide. He clamps his hands over his mouth.  
"But I can still have a cookie?" He asks quickly, drool falling out of his mouth. I wipe it.  
"Yes, you can still have a cookie." I say.  
Why haven't they started up the music yet? They're all still silent.  
"I five?" He asks, holding up his hand. I hold mine up and he smacks it.  
I smile and stand up, taking his hand.  
I shoot the DJ a glare and he just shrugs and nods at Finn, who is watching me closely.  
I get Noah a cookie and hand it to him.  
Finn waves me over to him.  
"Remember earlier when you asked Annie and I what we want tonight more than anything in the world?" He whispers. I nod. "We both want you to go over there and talk to Peeta. At least let him hold Noah. He's his Daddy for crying out loud!" He whispers.  
I really want to.  
"I will if you turn back on the music." I say, setting Noah down, him having already finished his cookie. I brush the crumbs off him and lift him back up.  
Finn waves his hand at the DJ who starts to play music again.  
"Please just..." He sighs. "Just be level headed Katniss. Don't get mad, please?" He begs. I nod.  
"Alright," I sigh.  
Everyone starts chatting again.  
Peeta is sitting alone, his hands set on his lap.  
I slowly make my way towards him, his back to me.  
"Hi..." I whisper, sitting down across from him. He looks up, his eyes widening slightly.  
"Hey," his voice is softer, more...depressed.  
The atmosphere goes awkward.  
Our usual banter, or stupid jokes, our own language...it's gone, vanished into thin air.  
I look down at Noah, who is eyeing Peeta.  
"You me like!" He says, not making any sense to Peeta, but making plenty of sense to me.  
Peeta raises his eyebrows.  
"Um...yeah." He says. I laugh.  
"He said 'you look like me'." I say quietly.  
Mrs. Mellark comes up behind Peeta.  
"I think I deserve to see my grandchild." She says sharply.  
I stand up and hand Noah to her, sitting back down, drumming my fingers on the table.  
She walks away with him without a word.  
Panic sets in, but I know Mrs. Mellark, and no matter how mad she is, she wouldn't hurt a fly.  
"I see you uh...still wear the ring." He says quietly.  
"Well...yeah." I whisper. I slide it off, turning it over and over in my fingers. "I see you do too." I whisper. He nods, silent.  
I sit the ring down on the table and slide it across the table in his direction.  
"You can um...have it back, if you'd like." I say quietly. He shakes his head and slides it back to me.  
"It's yours." He whispers.  
I look down and slowly slide the ring back on.  
We're silent for a long time.  
"I didn't cheat," he finally says, looking up at me.  
And it angers me that he's lying.  
I roll my eyes and stand up.  
"Right," I say.  
He doesn't let me leave this time like he normally does. He stands up and grabs my hand, pulling me to a stop. A shock shoots up my arm.  
"Don't go. Your not leaving here until you listen to me, okay?" He says.  
I slide my hand out of his grip, tears welling in my eyes.  
"Why should I listen to you?" I demand.  
"Because I didn't cheat on you. I would never cheat on you." He says.  
"Peeta this is bullshit! I saw her kissing you!" I say, forcing myself to keep my voice down.  
"Yes, you think you saw her kissing me. I didn't kiss her, she kissed me. You were gone before you saw me push her away. You were gone before you saw me kick her out. You were gone before you saw me file a restraining order. And you were gone before you let me explain." He says. "Katniss, please, just...just hear me out." He whispers.  
I turn around and walk off, reaching for him hand, pulling him with me.  
I take him out onto the pier, the ocean swirling underneath us.  
I climb up on the railing, my feet hanging under the deep depths of the sea. This pier goes out really far and I can actually see sharks swimming underneath me.  
Peeta sits down next to me and I drop his hand.  
"Talk," I say.  
"I didn't say yes to her asking me to have sex with her." He begins.  
"Bullshit!" I say loudly.  
"Katniss, I said yes to her saying 'you love Katniss, right?'." He says.  
I don't look at him.  
"Why should I believe you?" I whisper.  
He pulls out his phone and opens his texts, scrolling all the way down to the bottom where he still has the messages from Delly saved.  
He hands me his phone.  
Delly: I can't believe you filed a fucking restraning order! You said yes!  
Peeta: I didn't fucking say yes. I said yes to you asking if I loved Katniss. Now my wife and child is gone and I don't know where she went. Her family won't tell me anything and she won't talk to me or answer the phone.  
Delly: so? She's a skank anyways.  
Peeta: don't you dare call her a skank, you little asshole. That's my wife I'm talking about and I'm in love with her.  
Delly: fuck you  
Peeta: never  
Then the time skips to just yesterday.  
Delly: have you moved on from Katniss yet?  
Peeta: no  
Delly: your kidding me! It's been two years! Your still in love with her?  
Peeta: yes I'm still in love with her. I will always be in love with her.  
Delly: fuck you  
Peeta: never  
That's the last thing he said to her, and that was yesterday.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper.  
"I couldn't stop you." He says.  
"Why didn't you come find me!" I burst. "Then I wouldn't have had to go so long thinking you hate me!" I choke on a sob and look down.  
Those sharks look so tempting right now.  
"I didn't know where you were. I tried everywhere." He says.  
I climb off the railing.  
I'm such a fucking idiot. Two years without him, just to find out I misread the text.  
Now that song I wrote was actually perfect.  
I round on him.  
"Do you have a girlfriend?" I snarl.  
"No," he says.  
"I hate you!" I hiss before pulling his lips hungrily down onto mine, my fingers in his hair.  
My god. He moves his hand to in between my shoulder blades.  
Our lips mold together quickly, the scent of cinnamon, dill and sugar wafting through my nose, my eyes scrunched tightly shut. He pushes me against the railing, his lips on mine hungrily. I thrust my tongue into his mouth and we battle for dominance, exploring each others mouths, even though we already have them memorized. My entire body is screaming, burning passion. My breath is completely gone and I don't even care. A soft moan escapes my lips as he nibbles on my bottom lip.  
Eventually, I remember Noah could be anywhere right now.  
I force myself to pull away from him, gasping for air.  
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself against him, my heart racing.  
"So does this mean we're back together?" He whispers, his breath rapid.  
"Please?" I whine breathlessly. He nods against my shoulder desperately. I pull him closer. "I've missed you so much." I whisper, my breathing calming down.  
"I've missed you too," he whispers, his lips finding purchase on my neck. "But there's one problem." He says.  
I pull away to look at him, tense and nervous.  
"My family hates you and yours family hates me." He says.  
"So? If they don't want to accept our fucked up marriage, then they don't have to. As long as I have you and Noah, I'm perfectly happy." I say.  
"Good point." He says. He pauses. "Noah is so big. He's walking and talking now!" He says.  
"Yeah. He has...tons of energy." I say.  
"Does he um...know who I am?" He asks.  
I slide my hands down his chest.  
"No, but he will in a minute." I say. "I'll be right back. Stay here." I say.  
I walk up to Noah, who is with Mrs. Mellark still.  
"Can I see him please?" I ask, calm.  
"Nope," she says. "My son gets him for two years now, since you got him for two." She says.  
I actually laugh and simply take Noah out of her arms. He's crying.  
He rests his head against my shoulder.  
Mrs. Mellark looks pissed as I walk away.  
"I'm going to report you to child services!" She screams after me.  
"You do that!" I call back. I won't get in trouble anyways, even though she's not going to even do it. I've done absolutely nothing wrong to Noah.  
I walk out to Peeta. It's probably midnight and Noah is whining.  
I kneel down on the ground and stand him up in front of me.  
"Honey," I begin. He looks at me, stopping the whining. "Remember last week when you asked me how come everyone has a daddy, but you don't?" I ask. He nods. "And I told you that you do too, but you've never met him?" I ask. He nods again.  
"Well...this is Peeta. This is your Daddy." I say. He looks up at Peeta, who kneels down next to me.  
"Katniss, I am on the phone with child services right now and-" Mrs. Mellark cuts off.  
"Mom, go away." Peeta says.  
She looks even more pissed then before.  
She turns around and walks away, shouting how we made up, causing everyone to go silent. We're outside but the does are open.  
"Daddy?" Noah asks. "I have a Daddy too?" He whispers. I nod. He stares at Peeta and then climbs into his lap.  
"Do you know my name?" He asks. Peeta looks confused.  
"He asked if you know his name." I say.  
"Oh. Yeah, your Noah." He says.  
"And your Daddy?" Noah asks. Peeta nods.  
"Yes," he says.  
"And your Mommy?" Noah points to me.  
"Yes honey," I whisper.  
"I have Daddy Mommy?" He asks.  
"Yes sweetie, you have a Daddy and a Mommy." I whisper.  
"And more Grammies and Grandpas? And more Aunties?" He asks.  
"No more Aunties. You have two more uncles. Uncles are Daddy's brothers." I say. "And you have two more Grammies and grandpas, yes. Daddy's parents." I say.  
"Why you no daddy?" Noah asks. I swallow nervously.  
"I have a Daddy. He's just...we don't talk about him, okay?" I ask.  
"So I can't talk about Daddy?" He asks.  
"You can't talk about my Daddy, but you can talk about yours." I whisper.  
"Okay!" He says, climbing off of Peeta's lap. I stand up.  
Peeta stands up and Noah raises his arms up at him.  
Peeta hesitates and then bends down and lifts Noah up, holding into my hand with his free hand.  
"Some soda?" Noah asks. I look at the clock. It's not midnight, it's one on the morning. Great, now he's going to get cranky and start to throw a fit.  
Peeta looks like he doesn't know what to say.  
"No soda." I say.  
He looks angry, and then starts to scream. Peeta looks panicked.  
"He's fine. He's just cranky because it late and he's tired." I explain.  
"So he's throwing a tantrum?" Peeta asks.  
"Pretty much." I say. I sit down in the seat I was in earlier and Peeta sits across from me. I have to get him to bed or he'll be grumpy tomorrow. We're staying at a hotel with one bed while in Florida, but we live with Allison in New York.  
I get up and go to Finn and Annie.  
"Guys...thank you." I whisper, hugging them. "I really have to get Noah to bed." I trail off.  
"No problem Kitty. You can go." Finn says.  
"Thanks." I wave to them and walk over to Peeta. "I um...probably should get him to bed." I say. He looks panicked as he stands up. He doesn't even know what to say.  
"You can um...come with me but we have to share a bed with him." I say nervously.  
"Okay," he says. Rye and Graham come over to us.  
"I don't hate you," Graham says, kissing my cheek.  
"Me either," Rye kisses my other cheek.  
"That's good I guess." I say. Noah is getting really fussy, his head on Peeta's shoulder, crying obnoxiously.  
"What's up with Noah?" Rye demands.  
"He's just mad because I told him he's not having any soda and he's throwing a tantrum because he's tired." I reply. His wails get louder. "See?" I ask. He starts beating his fists on Peeta. "Noah!" I say, grabbing his hands to stop him. "No," I say. He knows what that word means and he hates it. He starts getting louder but he stops hitting Peeta.  
"So you two are cool?" Graham asks for confirmation. We both nod. We really need to get Noah to bed.  
"We need to get him to bed or he's going to be really bad tomorrow." I warn Peeta. He nods.  
"We'll...see you guys later." He says. Both of them nod and then walk off. I need my car keys, which is in Allison's purse with my phone.  
I look around the crowd and spot her talking with Plutarch. Finn and Annie insisted they invite them.  
I look at Peeta for a second and then walk over to Allison.  
"I need my phone and keys." I say. "I'll give you money, but your gonna have to catch a taxi." I say.  
"So you guys made up?" Allison asks while dropping my keys and phone and wallet in my hand. It must have been in there.  
"Yeah...and I think Noah really likes him." I say. She nods.  
"Well...be careful." She warns. I nod.  
"Thanks Al." I say. She nods and I walk back over to Peeta and Noah, who is screaming now.  
"Let's go," I say. Peeta follows me to my Jeep. "You want to buckle him in or you want me to?" I ask.  
"I'll do it," he says. I nod and unlock the car, getting in the drivers side. Peeta buckles Noah in and then gets in the front. It's almost two in the morning. Noah is screaming loudly. Peeta looks a bit worried.  
"Are you sure he's okay?" He asks, worried.  
"He's fine, just tired." I say. He nods, slightly nervous.  
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel.  
After around a half hour, we pull into the hotel parking lot.  
"I'll get him," Peeta says. I unbuckle and get out, getting the keys, my phone and my wallet. Peeta gets Noah and we head inside.  
The second we get into the hotel, I'm turning on the TV, which is already on nick Jr. I get a bottle from the diaper bag and fill it with milk.  
"Can you just put him on the bed?" I ask. Peeta nods and sets Noah down. He's still screaming, staring at the TV.  
I walk over to him and hand him the bottle, moving him to the middle of the bed. I pull off his shirt and he whines again.  
"No!" He screams. I ignore him. I slide off his shoes and socks and his little kid slacks so he's just in his diaper. I check his diaper to make sure he doesn't need changed and then tuck him under the covers.  
"Mommy! Candy?" He asks.  
"No honey," I say, kissing his forehead.  
He scrunched his nose up in an angry expression and glares at me. I ignore him. If I give him attention for doing that, then he's going to think its okay.  
"Mickey!" He screams, sitting back against the pillows. He sucks on his bottle, silent. Peeta is standing there awkwardly, his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall. It makes everything awkward between us, and I know for a fact that its 100% my fault. If I had just stopped to listen, I would never have left.  
"Peeta...I-I'm sorry." I whisper, my eyes on Noah. "I'm sorry for...messing everything up and making things awkward. I should have stayed and listened to you." I whisper. He's silent for a long time.  
"It's not your fault, and if I know anything about you, I know your blaming yourself." He says quietly. "I should have just told Delly to stop messaging me the second she started." He says. "But I didn't and...things escalated..." He whispers. "And it's um...kind of my fault, not yours."  
"It's not your fault I took your son and left." I say. "That was all mine."  
"Yes, but I wouldn't have left had I told Delly to stop. Or told you the second she started um...harass me." He mutters.  
Drag my eyes away from Noah and raise them to him.  
"Harass you?" I ask. He lets out a nervous breath of air and then nods to himself.  
"Katniss, Delly had been asking me for sex since the day of you getting kidnapped was exposed to the media, which was a week after your birthday." He says. I stare at him. "Happy late birthday, by the way." I smile a little.  
"Thanks...if I ever meet that Delly chick..." I trail off, my eyes darkening in anger. He doesn't say anything.  
The atmosphere goes back to awkward. I seriously want to cry.  
What do I do? How do I get us back to normal?  
God I'm such a freaking idiot! I cannot believe I waisted two years hiding away from my husband. I should have known right then and there that Peeta would never, ever, cheat.  
I drop my head into my hands, wanting so hard to cry.  
I look up at Noah, who is watching TV.  
I get up and flip it off.  
"No!" He whines. He starts to cry.  
"Yes. Bedtime." I say.  
I lay him down again and sit down next to him.  
"No!" He whines.  
"Bedtime," I repeat.  
He rolls onto his side, sucking on his bottle. He continues to whine.  
I run my hand through his hair.  
"Where Daddy?" He asks. "Where Daddy?" He repeats.  
"Daddy is right there," I say, pointing at Peeta.  
"Daddy!" Noah exclaims. Peeta moves forward, sitting down on the other side of the bed.  
Noah grabs my hand, putting the bottle down. He uses his other hand to grab Peeta's.  
He stares at both of us intensely. His eyes begin to droop and his grip loosens. Soon enough, his breathing evens and I know he's asleep. I sigh and release his hand.  
"Do you have clothes?" I ask Peeta quietly as I take off my heels. He looks up at me and shakes his head.  
"Well I may have um...taken some of your clothes..." I trail off. He laughs. I go over to my suitcase and get his sweatpants and his t-shirt and toss them to him. He laughs.  
"I've been looking for these." He holds them up. I shrug, my cheeks probably pink. I stand up and get my own sweatpants and tank top.  
"Do you care if I um..." Why do I have to ask? I seriously used to strip naked just to drive him crazy before! He shakes his head.  
"You don't have to ask." He says.  
"Can you unzip me?" I ask. He nods and I walk over to him before he can get up.  
I turn around and he silently unzips me. I turn around and start to back up but he stands up and grabs my wrist. I stare at him.  
He doesn't say a word as he slides my dress down my body, pooling on the floor around my ankles. I clench my jaw to keep myself from stripping him naked right here and just...get your mind out of the gutter! Your two year old is sleeping only two feet away from where you are standing.  
His eyes trail up and down my body slowly.  
"You are still...so beautiful." He whispers. "So, so beautiful." He leans down and places a gentle kiss on my lips. I stare at him, my eyes probably black in want. His hands trail down my sides. Goosebumps grow on my skin. His hand stops moving when it gets to my hip. I suck in a breath.  
"Peeta Ryan, if you don't stop I won't be able to refrain myself from stripping you naked, right here in front of our two year old." I hiss. He looks like he doesn't want to stop.  
"If you don't get some clothes on..." He sucks in a breath. I slowly back away from him and pull on my sweatpants and tank top. He then strips to his boxers and pulls on sweatpants and his shirt.  
I put my dress and heels in my suitcase. The atmosphere goes right back to awkward. I'm irritated now.  
"Listen," I say, harsh. He looks up at me. "I don't want us to be awkward! I don't want everything we do to be awkward! I want us back! Our own relationship and our own language! The way we can talk to each other without a word!" I say, tears pooling in my eyes. "I miss the way you hold me. I miss how you purposely annoy my because you think it's cute when I'm irritated. I miss the way you kiss me, or how your overprotective. I miss you! I miss everything about you!" I'm crying now. "I miss your smile and your laugh and your personality and your love and god dammit Peeta I don't know how much longer I can do this! I love you so much and I feel like I'm suffocating without you. I feel like I'm in a hole and there's no way I can get out! I just want my husband back! I don't want a shield of him, I just want you! No walls up. Just you. No lies or you pretending to be perfect! Your not perfect and neither am I! Nobody's perfect and I just...I really love you and I'm desperate to get you back." I drop my head into my hands and just cry, allowing myself to let it all out for the first time in what feels like forever.  
Just when my knees give in and I start to fall, he's there, picking me up again, wiping my tears. My head falls against his chest and I just cry. He rubs my back.  
"I'm never going anywhere again. I will never let you leave again. I will follow you wherever you go. You've got me and I'm not leaving. No walls anymore. Just me, and you, and Noah. Just the three of us." He kisses my head and holds me. He continues to rub my back. "And Katniss?" He asks. I look up at him. He kisses away my tears. "I love you too."

The next morning, the first thing I'm aware of, is Noah is gone.  
I sit up so fast and fly out of the bed. He can open doors and go down stairs. Most two year olds can. Panic overwhelms me and I burst into the bathroom. It's empty. I look around, my stomach dropping when I see the door is open a crack.  
"Peeta!" I shout, shaking him awake, changing into jeans and a flowey white tank top from Hollister with ruffles.  
He sits up.  
"What's wrong?" He asks.  
"Noah's gone!" I say hysterically, rolling on deodorant as I pull on my grey vans and spray on sweet pea.  
I go to my suitcase and toss him a pair of his jeans. They're my favorite on him and I stole them because I didn't want him wearing them when I couldn't see them.  
He pulls off his sweatpants and on his jeans. I shove my phone in my back pocket, looking at the clock to see its 10:30.  
"He can open doors?" Peeta demands. I nod frantically.  
"And he can go down stairs." I add. There's a pool at this hotel and a water slide. There's a kiddie area downstairs too.  
He follows me out of the hotel room, grabbing the key on the way. I rake my fingers through my hair and race down the stairs.  
I get into the lobby.  
"You go that way, I go this way. Do you have your phone?" I ask. He nods and takes off. I go right to the front desk.  
"Excuse me?" I ask. The lady looks up and smiles.  
"How can I help you?" She asks.  
"Have you seen a little boy? About this tall? Curly blond hair with grey eyes?" I ask. She thinks for a moment.  
"No. I'm sorry." I sigh loudly and take off.  
I check the weight room and the kiddie area. Empty. I collide with Peeta, who shakes his head.  
I go out to the pool area. I hear people screaming. I move towards their voices.  
He's running around without a diaper on, a pool noodle in his hand. He's hitting people with it.  
He's butt naked, running around the pool with a pool noodle, whacking people in the face.  
My face grows red from embarrassment.  
Noah is laughing hysterically.  
I look at Peeta, who's face is also red from embarrassment.  
"Noah!" I scold. He keeps running.  
I look at Peeta, and he knows what I want.  
I go right and he goes left.  
Noah whacks an old lady, breaking her glasses.  
I break into a run.  
Noah starts to pee into the pool and I want so badly to run and hide and act like I have no clue who he is. Children are laughing but adults look pissed.  
I rip the pool noodle from his hand and pick him up.  
I dig through my pockets and hand the old lady a fifty.  
"I am so sorry. Here...get your glasses fixed." I say.  
"Mommy!" Noah screams.  
"Thank you," the old lady says.  
I nod and turn around and walk off to the hotel room with Peeta behind me. Noah is covered in dirt.  
Peeta shuts the hotel room door. Peeta snaps his fingers.  
"We should take him to the beach!" He says. "And then get i-c-e c-r-e-a-m." He says. I nod as I start the bath.  
"After he gets a bath." I say.  
I set him in the tub and go to his bag. I get a swimming diaper, his blue and grey plaid swim trunks and a white t-shirt and then a ton of his toys.  
I drop the toys in the bathtub and place his clothes on the floor. Peeta sits on the closed toilet seat while I brush my teeth, spitting the foam in the sink.  
I wash my toothbrush off and get the no tears shampoo. It's body wash too.  
"But I don't have a suit." Peeta adds.  
"Me either. We can go to target. I have to get him some sunscreen too." I say. He nods.  
"So um...where do you live now?" He asks.  
"With Allison," I say.  
"In New York?" He asks, shocked. I sigh and nod.  
"I didn't have much of a choice. I hate it there but...I'll live." I trail off. "What about you? Do you still live in Indiana?" I ask. He's quiet for a while.  
"Well...that's why I'm down here, actually. I'm moving down here..." He sighs. "But then Finnick called and told me to come to the wedding. He knew what really happened and so did Annie. I said no because...you know why. Then he said that you would be there, obviously I knew that. He said that I could explain what really happened. I honestly didn't expect for you to tell me you hate me and then kiss me like that." He coughs awkwardly.  
"I don't hate you." I say.  
"I know you don't." He says.  
"So your moving down here?" I whisper. He nods.  
"A beach house at Delray Beach." He says. "There's um...six bedrooms and seven bathrooms and an elevator and then there's a pool and right there is the ocean." He says.  
I remain silent, trying to hide the pain in my chest.  
I kneel down in front of the bathtub and pour water on Noah's head.  
"You know..." Peeta begins, kneeling down next to me and take the soap from my hand. "That's a lot of space for one person." He doesn't look at me as he washes Noah's hair, making sure not to get it in his eyes.  
"Vroom vroom!" Noah squeals, running his toy boat around in the water.  
"But it's not that bad for three. Maybe one day...five." He says. I know what he's doing, but I ask anyways.  
"Are you asking me and Noah to move in with you without actually asking?" I ask while he washes the soap from his hair. Noah shakes his head when all the soap is out and then pics up the bubbles and eats them.  
He still doesn't look at me.  
"Yes, I am." He says.  
Am I ready to start living with Peeta again?  
Did I just say last night that I want things to do back to normal?  
This is normal. And I want to live with Peeta, desperately.  
"Hey Noah." I say.  
He looks at me.  
"Do you want to live with Daddy?" I ask.  
"Okay!" He says, even though he doesn't know what I just asked him. I look at Peeta.  
"I think that's a yes." I whisper. His eyes snap up to mine, his light blue.  
"Seriously?" He asks hopefully.  
"Seriously," I repeat.  
"I thought you were gonna say no!" He exclaims.  
I smile.  
We both wash Noah's body, laughing as he laughs.  
"Tickle!" He screams. "Dat tickle!" We laugh louder and wash him off. I drain the water and Peeta wrap him in a towel. He then picks him up and spins him around, Noah screaming while laughing. We dress him and then walk into the main part of the hotel room.  
I strip down to my bra and underwear and switch into black shorts and a white and blue striped three-quarter sleeve shirt that shows one shoulder. I brush through my hair and slide on white flip flops, putting my phone in my pocket, adding my wallet, keys and room key to the diaper bag, and then putting in random stuff for Noah.  
I swing the bag over my shoulder and go over to Noah, putting on his shoes.  
"You know your Mom called child services last night, right?" I ask quietly. His eyes bulge.  
"What!" He bursts. He gets his phone from his pocket and dials his mother.  
"Did the bitch break your heart again." She growls.  
"No. She's moving back in with me. If you can't accept her, then you can't be around us. She is my wife and I love her. Don't you dare call her a bitch again." Peeta says. "And I hear you called child services." He says. She says something. "She didn't do anything!" He says. "Whatever, they won't do anything about it. Noah is perfectly healthy and perfectly happy." He says.  
"Well, then don't come crying to me when she leaves you again, taking your boy with her." She says.  
"She won't," Peeta says angrily. He hangs up on her.  
I take his hand.  
"Don't let this ruin today, please?" I ask. He nods. "Lets go, then." I say, standing up.  
He picks up Noah and follows me out of the hotel room.  
We go to the car and he buckles Noah in.

**So I have no clue how to end this, so I'm just gonna end it here.**

**The link for their beach house, which is EXTREAMLY nice, is in my bio, check it out. **  
**Seriously people, if you don't like how I skip and you run around complaining, don't read the story. I don't want to listen to you guys whining about it. If you don't like it, don't read. This is my story and I don't even have to post it online. **  
**I'm not trying to be a bitch, but seriously, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. **  
**Disclaimer: I don't own the hunger games or anything else **  
**-KatPeeta22**


	31. Chapter 31

**This chapter is sad and actually made me cry. And I have a new character that I hate. You guys will too, after reading. **

_**And uh guys...this story isn't over. I have no clue what gave you that idea...lol**_

We're walking along the beach, Peeta and I holding hands, Noah running ahead of us. Peeta goes simple white swim trunks and I got a two price ruffled bikini that is sea-foam green. Noah is completely coated in sunscreen.

"Noah!" I call right before he steps on a girl that looks to be five years old's sand castle. Peeta freezes in place. Noah begins screaming and I pick him up.

Peeta grabs my wrist and I look at him.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, looking down at the girl who is staring up at me in shock.

I'm confused now.

"Katniss," Peeta says, his lips barely moving. "We've just ran into my family." I don't even react, because my main concern is Noah, who has sand all over his face.

I drop the bags in the sand and get out a water bottle, dumping it on Noah to wash the sand off. I fight a smirk when Mrs. Mellark looks like she feels bad.

He looks a little red, like he's getting sunburnt.

Peeta kneels down behind him and helps me coat him in more sunscreen.

"Do you not even care?" He whispers as they call Audrey away from us.

"It's upsetting but I'm not gonna give them the satisfaction of seeing me upset." I whisper.

"I wanna water!" Noah whines.

I get out his sippy cup and Peeta gets out a water bottle, filling the cup. He already understand most of his language.

"Poor boy. He has such a terrible mother." Mrs. Mellark says loudly. I roll my eyes.

"I mean come on! She doesn't even look like she cares about him!" She adds loudly. Peeta catches my eye, silently asking if I'm okay. I shrug. "And he's crying and she doesn't even care!" She adds, really loud, causing some people walking past me to glare.

Peeta hands me the sippy cup and I hand it to Noah. His cries stop and he starts to drink, thirsty.

"It's a shame that the boy has to grow up around her! He's probably going to end up in jail or-" I lose it.

"Would you stop!" I burst, standing up. She raises her eyebrows at me. "Yeah, I get I made a mistake, I get that, but now your talking about OUR son." I gesture between me and Peeta. "I don't care what you say about me, but don't talk about Noah. He's two years old and he's already more mature than you!" Rye and Graham laugh and then high five me. Mrs. Mellark looks furious.

She storms over to me and- wait, not me, Noah.

And then she picks him up and...throws him into the ocea, where its waist deep for me, where he cannot stand.

Or swim.

Panic swells in my veins. It's going to storm later so the current is intense.

He's drifting closer and closer to the pier.

The pier!

I bounce for a second on the balls of my feet and take off at a run.

I did track in high school, too.

"Sorry!" I say, stepping around kids and adults. He's close now.

I run up onto the pier and I hear the entire family screaming at me not to do it. The pier is extremely high and the chances I could die are high, but I don't care.

I come to a stop at the end, thankful Noah had his swim arms on.

He's screaming.

Even Mrs. Mellark is shouting at me not to do it.

I'm gonna do it anyways. I climb up into the rail. The entire pier and beach are shouting at me.

"Hey! Get down from there!" A worker shouts.

I look down and my stomach drops. I see Noah getting further out in the sea.

Then I jump, diving down. Water encloses me and I'm perfectly fine. I'm shooting down so fast that I end up reaching the bottom, which has to be a hundred feet.

I thrash around for a second and then kick off the bottom.

How Mrs. Mellark managed to throw him this far is beyond me.

I lose all the power I had from kicking off the bottom and begin to swim. It has to be at least a minute now and the air in my lungs is completely gone.

I begin to get lightheaded, but then my head breaks through the surface.

I go over to Noah and grab him, ditching the float because its not gonna do anything for us.

My legs and arms are burning from exertion but I force myself to swim towards shore. Peeta starts to move towards me, meeting me halfway.

He's freaking out.

He helps me swim back, picking me up when we're at the point where we can stand, but I can't because my legs and arms feel like jelly.

I hold onto Noah.

Jessica bustles forward and wraps me in a towel, then Noah.

Peeta sets me down in the sand.

"Are you okay?" He asks. I nod.

"I'm fine," I say breathlessly. I flex my arms and legs and then stand up, the feeling back in them. Peeta loses it.

"Have you completely lost your mind!" He bursts. I don't say anything. "Do you realize you we're under water for almost two minutes?"

"Do you realize your son would probably be dead by now?" I retort. He runs his hands over his face.

"I get that, but they have lifeguards-" he starts.

"Lifeguards that were yelling at me to stop! That were still in their chairs!" I burst. I'm actually surprised when Finn and Annie walk up.

"What the fuck was that?" Finn bursts.

"One second, we're on the pier, and then we hear someone shouting at someone not to jump. And then we see you, jumping off the pier!" Annie slaps me.

Is my family here too? Seriously!

"Well if my son wasn't thrown into the fucking ocean, this wouldn't be a problem!" I hiss.

"Who threw my nephew in the ocean?" Prim demands. Okay, now I'm just pissed.

I look around and then pick up Noah and walk off.

Peeta picks up the bags and follows me.

Someone grabs my wrist and I rip it out of their grip without turning around.

But then I realize that hand was small and I turn around. Audrey is standing there, crying.

"Audrey," I breathe.

"I'm sorry." She whispers. Her words don't sound like a little kid anymore. She is five now, or six...I think she's six, but I'm not sure. "I didn't mean to make you sad." She whispers. I kneel down in front of her and hug her.

"You didn't." I whisper.

"I've missed you Katniss." She even pronounces my name correctly. Tears well in my eyes.

"I've missed you too." I'm trying not to sob.

"Will I see you again?" She asks. I nod.

"I'm sure." I whisper. She wipes her tears and then waves and runs away, climbing onto her Mom's lap, crying hysterically.

I stand up and face Peeta. It's like everything is coming crashing down. Two years have flown past. Audrey is...she's like older now. She has gold speech. I don't even know if I'll see her again. Peeta kisses me gently, Noah asleep with his head on my shoulder. He pulls away.

"Lets get him some ice cream and get back to the hotel." He whispers. "I think the three of us need a rest."

"I don't know what to do anymore." I whisper.

I begin to walk again.

"Katniss wait!" Audrey screams desperately.

Peeta takes Noah from me just in time for her to launch herself into my arms. I stumble and then regain my balance and hug her.

"Can I call you on Mama's phone?" She whispers.

"Yes." I whisper. "Any time you want to." She hops down.

"Okay." She whispers. She waves and walks away again.

I swear she's breaking my heart.

**Okay so this is...sad. It made me cry, especially with Audrey. **  
**Disclaimer: I don't own anything... **  
**-KatPeeta22**


	32. Chapter 32

**Okay guys, this is continued right from where Katniss separated from Audrey.**  
**Sorry this took forever. I've been swamped in homework and tests and make up work all week.**  
**I'm really sorry.**

**omg guys i almost broke something**

**the site was down and i started crying when they fixed it back i'm just so happy**

I turn around, tears streaming down my cheeks silently.  
"Why don't we just go and get ice cream from McDonalds?" Peeta suggests. "Or the drive through at Dairy Queen?" He adds.  
I nod.  
I take back Noah, who wakes up to move his head and then goes right back to sleep.  
Peeta turn to the direction of our family and starts to pull me towards them.  
I cannot believe Mrs. Mellark would throw Noah into the ocean.  
I wave to Audrey again and keep following Peeta to the car.  
"Want me to drive?" He whispers. I nod, silent.  
I buckle Noah into the car, who starts to whine.  
"Shhh baby. We're gonna go get some ice cream." I whisper. He falls right back to sleep.  
I get in the driver's side and rest my head against the window.  
"Where in Florida do you live?" I whisper as we drive in silence.  
"We live in Delray Beach." He says. "You should look it up and see the house. I don't know if you'll like it..." He sounds nervous.  
I get my phone from the diaper bag.  
"What's the address?" I ask.  
"978 Fern Drive." He says.  
I type it into Google, my eyes widening.  
"This is..." I trail off. It's incredible (the link is in my bio. It's so detailed I can't even begin to describe it) "incredible." I whisper.  
"You like it?" He asks hopefully.  
"Love," I say.  
I lock my phone screen, me and Peeta's hands linked. I begin to drift off, and then I'm asleep.

Peeta shakes my shoulder gently. I rub my eyes and look at him.  
"What?" I whisper, tiredness laced in my voice.  
"What do I get Noah?" He asks.  
I look around. We're at Dairy Queen.  
"Just...get him an ice cream cone." I mumble.  
"Do you want anything?" He asks. I shake my head and go back to sleep.

I wake up to Noah babbling, and we're driving. It's dark out.  
I look around, confused.  
"Where are we?" I mumble.  
The wedding was in Jacksonville.  
"We are driving home." Peeta says. "I checked you out and got all your stuff from your room while you and Noah were sleeping. That was about an hour ago." He says. I know it's like four hours from Jacksonville to Delray Beach, so there's three to go.  
I really have to pee and I really want to shower and Noah needs a bath.  
I know there's showers at rest stops.  
"Peeta I really gotta pee and I want to take a shower." I say. "Can we stop at a rest stop. Noah needs a shower too or he's gonna get a rash from the sand." I say. He nods.  
"Okay," he says.  
"I should call Allison..." I look around for my phone.  
"I um...I did it for you." He says. "She's gonna mail your stuff down to the house." He says.  
I yawn and begin to fidget.  
"Needs change!" Noah says. "Poopies!" He screams. I sigh.  
"Hang on Noah." I say. He continues to complain about needing his diaper changed. A half hour passes before we get to a rest stop.  
I get out and get shorts and a t-shirt and underwear and a bra and get a new diaper for Noah and his soap. I get my cocoanut shampoo and Noah's shampoo.  
"You can wait in the car." I say. Peeta nods.  
I get Noah out of his car seat and get a washcloth from his bag and carry all the stuff and him to the family bathroom.  
I go in and lock the door. I start the shower and set the clothes on the baby changing station.  
I take off Noah's poop filled diaper and put him under the water. It washes off all the poop so I don't have to.  
I take off my bathing suit and wash myself first, quickly, and then wash him.  
I shut off the water and go pee, on the toilet, obviously.  
Noah babbles about stupid things.  
I forgot fucking towels.  
I'm gonna have to live.  
I get dressed and then lay him down on the changing station.  
"Butt up." I say. He lifts himself up and I put the diaper under him. "Stop playing with that." I say, moving his hand away from his junk.  
I strap on his diaper and lift him up.  
I throw away his dirty diaper and then grab our dirty suits and wash my sandals in the sink. I cry them with toilet paper and slide them on.  
"Shh!" I shush Noah, who is screaming about Mickey.  
I head back to the car.  
I dust all the sand out of his car seat and then buckle him back in, doing the same with me seat.  
We begin to drive again.  
"You'd think I'd remember to bring a towel." I say. Peeta laughs.  
"That could be useful." He says.  
"Probably," I say.  
"So I was thinking..." He begins. I look at him. "We should invite Audrey and Madison to stay with us during the summers." He says. "Because I know how much they mean to you." He adds.  
"Really?" I ask. He nods. "I'm gonna call Jessica right now." I say.  
I pull out my phone and dial Jessica.  
"Katniss?" Audrey asks.  
"Hey Audrey. Can I talk to your Mommy?" I ask.  
"Okay!" She says happily. "MAMA KATNISS IS ON THE PHONE!" She screams. I laugh quietly and wait.  
"Hey Katniss," Jessica says.  
"I have a question." I begin.  
"Ask away," she says.  
"MICKY MOUSE!" Noah screams.  
"Noah!" I scold. He giggles and continues to babble. Jessica laughs. "Um...so Peeta came up with an amazing idea." I begin.  
"Okay?" She presses.  
"I was wondering...how would you like if we could take Audrey off your hands for the summer?" I ask. She's silent for a minute.  
"What are you asking?" She asks.  
"I'm asking if Audrey can come stay with me and Peeta for the summer, and maybe Madison." I say.  
"I think she would absolutely love that! Let me talk to Jordan and I'll get back to you, okay?" She asks.  
"Sure," I say. She hangs up.  
"Now Aunt Annabella." I say, dialing her.  
"Hey Katniss." She says.  
"Hey Aunt A." I say. "I've got a question for you." I begin.  
"Okay..." She says.  
"What do you think of Peeta and I taking Madison off of your hands for the summer?" I ask. "We want her to come stay with me and Peeta and Noah and maybe Audrey." I say.  
"I'll talk to Bryon. Madison missed Audrey so much." She says. I smile.  
"Alright," the line goes dead.  
I start to feel bad for Peeta. He was up till almost three last night. He's been driving all day and I woke him up this morning.  
He's probably exhausted and I've slept most of the time.  
If I tell him to let me drive, he won't.  
So there's only one way to do this.  
"Ow! Oh my god!" I say, acting like I'm in pain, clutching my stomach.  
"What's wrong?" He asks frantically.  
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I say frantically.  
He pulls over and gets out of the car, coming to my side.  
"Katniss honey, what's wrong?" He asks, panicked. He unbuckles me and helps me out of the car.  
I lean up and kiss him.  
"It's my turn to drive." I snicker and run around the car before he can stop me, getting in the driver's side.  
"You are...so mischievous!" He says. I snicker.  
"But you love me." I say.  
"I do indeed," he says, nodding.  
"Now you have to go to sleep." I say. He sighs.  
"Will that make you happy?" He asks. I nod.  
"Fine," he says.  
I start to drive.  
Noah is fast asleep, and soon, so is Peeta.  
A few hours pass, probably three. I head through really tall buildings and them across a long bridge.  
I see a sign that says "welcome to Clearwater!"  
What?  
I continue to drive. I pass a thrift store and a hooters and then a subway and then I see a sigh on the left that says "Clearwater mall" that has a target and a pet smart and a ton of other stores.  
I keep driving, getting to an intersection. My instincts tell me to turn right on US19 so I do.  
I keep going straight for what feels like forever. Probably two hours. Then I see a sigh that says "Welcome to Weeki wachee!"  
It's pouring outside and the streets are flooded.  
I'm confused.  
It's two in the morning. I sigh loudly and pull over next to a water park.  
I google "how far is Weeki wachee from Delray beach?"  
And then I gasp. Four hours and seven minutes.  
I went the wrong way and took a wrong turn and I am only three hours from Jacksonville, which means I took a wrong turn.  
We won't get there till six.  
Okay, now I'm panicking.  
I reach over and shake Peeta awake. He blinks multiple times and looks around.  
I silently hand him my phone. He rubs his eyes and stares at the screen. He sighs.  
"Let me guess," he begins. "You didn't use the GPS and decided to rely on your instincts. And now we're four hours away from the house." He says. I look down.  
"I'm really sorry," I whisper. He laughs.  
"I'm not mad at you." He says. I sigh.  
"What do we do?" I whine.  
"We get a hotel." He says, reaching over and unbuckling me. "Let me drive." He unbuckles himself. I climb over the center console and plop down in his lap.  
"Now how am I supposed to get in drivers seat?" He asks.  
I pull up the emergency break, moving so I'm swaddling him.  
"Your not." I whisper. He stares at me warningly.  
"Katniss..." He begins. I stare at him innocently.  
"Please?" I whine, bouncing a little on his lap. He sucks in a breath.  
"If you let me drive, I will find us a hotel that has two rooms so we can, and not wake Noah." He says. I pout.  
"I don't want to wait." I say desperately.  
"Katniss..." He sighs. "Please just...you won't have to wait if you let me drive." He whispers. I pout again and climb off him.  
He climbs over the middle console into the drivers seat.  
I get back into the passenger seat and drum my fingers on the dashboard and bouncing in my seat impatiently.  
But he doesn't go to a hotel.  
"Peeta, what the fuck!" I say loudly. He goes right back to driving us home.  
"Katniss-" he starts.  
"I thought we were going to a hotel!" I pout.

PEETA'S POV

"Katniss," I sigh. She crosses her arms and turns her attention to the window. "Katniss come on." I say. She starts to fidget in her seat and I know that he's having a patience issue.  
I know I said I'd take her to a hotel, but I want out first time with us back together to be special. And plus, I really want to go home. Hotels irritate me. There's so noisy sometimes.  
I still can't believe how big Noah is. I honestly want to report Delly for harassment. I hate her. She destroyed my family. Last night was so awkward, but when Katniss let all of that out...it's like we went completely back to normal.  
I hate my mother. I can't believe she would throw Noah into the ocean!  
"You love me right?" Katniss whispers.  
"Of course," I say immediately.  
"Then take me to a hotel!" She says.  
"No." I say. She unbuckles and puts her hand on the door handle.  
"Pull over." She says.  
"No," I say.  
I know she'll do it. When she really wants something, there's no stopping her.  
"Fine!" She opens the door and I slam on the breaks.  
"Dammit Katniss!" I burst. She gets out of the car and starts to walk to the hotel across the street.  
She's so...so stubborn!  
I sigh harshly and get out with the keys, glancing at Noah who is fast asleep. I lock the doors and chase after her, glad it's two in the morning and there's only like two cars.  
I jog after her and grab her wrist.  
"No!" She whines, pulling her hand from my grip.  
"Katniss-" I begin.  
"Why won't you have sex with me?" She demands. "What's wrong with me? I thought you loved me!" I say.  
"I do love you." I say.  
"Then what is it? Do I smell weird? You wouldn't even let me kiss you in the car!" She says. "I wasn't going to have sex with you in the car! Not with Noah that close!" She's mad. She probably convinced herself that I hate her.  
"Katniss-" I try again.  
"No! I don't want to hear it." She says.  
We're in the middle of the coming and going lane, where no cars go.  
So I grab her and kiss her. It's not like I have much of a choice anyways. She kisses back hungrily, melting into me, her hands tangled in my hair. God I really love it when she does that.  
Her hands go to fists and a quiet moan escapes her.  
I lift her so her legs are around my waist, my hands on her butt.  
She's the one who pulls away, gasping.  
"Peeta," she gasps. "Take me home. Now."  
She hops off me and runs to the car. I unlock it and go to the drivers side.  
I'm gonna speed, just for my impatient wife.  
I start the car and begin to drive, going ten over. She glares at me.  
"You call that driving! God Peeta, let me drive." She says.  
Okay, so maybe I didn't make her happy.  
I pull over and she climbs onto my lap. I'm gonna have to get out.  
Did I mention it's pouring rain, so both of us are soaked.  
"Wanna bed!" Noah whines.

KATNISS'S POV

I didn't even know he was awake.  
"We're going baby." I say.  
I swear Peeta drives like a snail.  
I buckle up and slam down on the gas.

Around five in the morning, traffic starts. I have to remember that ever kid is in school, so kids are going to school and parents are going to work.  
We have around another hour, since I blew almost two hours by going 110 and having the car on cruise control. There's hardly any cops out at this time of morning.  
Noah has been whining for almost three hours and won't stop. He didn't go back to sleep.  
"Wannnna bed!" He cries. Peeta won't go back to bed either.  
"Katniss!" He says.  
"What?" I ask.  
"You just passed the house." He mumbles. All of us are grumpy because we're exhausted.  
I look around. We're in an extremely rich neighborhood.  
"Are you sure?" I ask.  
"Yes," he says.  
I back up.  
"Right there," he says through a yawn, pointing at a huge green beach house. It doesn't have sand, thank god. But at the pool area, when the patio ends, you can sit down and hang your legs right into the ocean. I really don't want to have sex right now. I'm just so tired.  
I pull into the driveway.  
"Get Noah and I'll get everything else." He says.  
I nod and get out of the car.  
I get Noah. Peeta hands me a key.  
I shut the door and walk up the stairs to the door. You can see right inside the house and there is a huge fish tank attached to the wall, dead in the center of the living room.  
I yawn and unlock the front door.  
Peeta comes in behind me and drops all our stuff on the floor.  
"Can he unlock door?" He asks. I shake my head.  
He shuts the front door and locks it. He locks the back door, too.  
"Lets pick a room for him." He suggests. He leads me upstairs. He opens a ton of doors except for one.  
I set Noah down.  
"Lets just see what one he wanders into first." I say. He nods.  
Noah looks around and then walks into the room two doors away from the one with the closed door.  
We both follow him. This room has a balcony.  
I get curious and open the balcony doors, my jaw dropping. The ocean is literally right there.  
I go back inside and shut the balcony door, locking it behind me.  
"I guess this room, then." I say. He nods.  
"Wanna bed!" Noah cries.  
I lift him up and rest him on the bed. I cover him and adjust the pillows.  
"Tomorrow we're gonna have to get him a kid bed. I don't have one. He usually just slept with me." I say. Peeta nods. Noah stares at us.  
"Sing Momma!" He screams. I sigh. "Peas?" He whines.  
He wants me to sing him to sleep. He usually only does that when he's upset about something. He actually woke up screaming once, terrified. He had a nightmare and slept literally on top of me.  
I clear my throat and begin to sing._I remember tears streaming down your face__  
__When I said, I'll never let you go__  
__When all those shadows almost killed your light__  
__I remember you said, Don't leave me here alone__  
__But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight__Just close your eyes__  
__The sun is going down__  
__You'll be alright__  
__No one can hurt you now__  
__Come morning light__  
__You and I'll be safe and sound__Don't you dare look out your window darling__  
__Everything's on fire__  
__The war outside our door keeps raging on__  
__Hold onto this lullaby__  
__Even when the music's gone, gone__Just close your eyes__  
__The sun is going down__  
__You'll be alright__  
__No one can hurt you now__  
__Come morning light__  
__You and I'll be safe and sound__Just close your eyes__  
__You'll be alright__  
__Come morning light,__  
__You and I'll be safe and sound...__  
__Oooooo, OoooOooo,__  
__Oooooo, OoooOooo,__  
__Oooooo, OoooOooo,__  
__Oooooo, OoooOooo,__  
__Oooooo, OoooOooo,__  
__Oooooo, OoooOooo...__  
_

He's asleep. I lean down and kiss his forehead.  
I stand up and turn to Peeta, who is yawning again.  
"Let's just go to bed," I say.  
He sighs, relived.  
"Okay," he walks down the hall. I close the door to Noah's room, leaving it open a crack.  
Peeta opens the door to the closed door.  
This must be our room. It's huge and has a balcony too. There's a master bathroom, which is incredible.  
"What are you gonna sleep in?" He asks tiredly.  
In answer, I strip down to my bra and underwear.  
"Now that I don't share a bed with a two year old, I could sleep naked and it wouldn't matter." I say. He laughs quietly and strips down to his boxers.  
I yawn and throw my clothes in the hamper after getting my phone from the pocket and putting it on the bedside table.  
I crawl into the bed next to Peeta and he reaches for me, holding me.  
I sigh into his chest.  
I drift off almost immedatedly.

PEETA'S POV

I'm not even tired. She's sleeping soundly, her head on my chest.  
Her comment about sleeping naked is driving me wild.  
She has no idea the affect she has on me.  
I'm not tired and its six in the morning.  
I don't even want to sleep.  
I run my fingers through her hair silently. She sucks in a breath and moves. I freeze, thinking I woke her up. Then she smacks her lips and burrows her head in my chest, a quiet moan escaping her lips.  
Is she dreaming?  
I have no clue.  
I want to wake her up and finish what she started in the car, but I will feel so terribly guilty if I do.  
But then she whines and flips over again.  
What is she doing?  
She flips over, once again, a pained cry escaping her lips.  
She's having a nightmare. I know that from experience.  
I sit up and shake her shoulder she continues to thrash.  
I lean down and connect our lips. She doesn't kiss back at first, because she's asleep, but then she gasps a tiny bit, pauses and then sits up, climbing into my lap so she's swaddling me.  
I know there's no stopping us now.

I wake up, my arms around Katniss. We both put our underwear on, and Katniss has one of my shirts on. It's not appropriate with a four year old in the house.  
She's so beautiful. Her lips are slightly parted, her hair spread all over her face. I hear a loud whining in the doorway.  
Noah is standing there in the doorway, his thumb in his mouth, a teddy bear in his hand, dragging behind him.

KATNISS'S POV

I wake up, my hair soaked.  
Why is my hair soaked?  
I know I'm alone, although I hear voices downstairs.  
I stand up and stretch, walking off to the bathroom. I go pee and then head to the sink to wash my hands. I gasp loudly.  
My hair is wet. And blond.  
Why the fuck is my hair blond!  
I wash my hands, brush my teeth and hair, furious. I pull on jeans and a t-shirt.  
"I'M GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY!" I scream, racing downstairs. I know for a fact that my family, and Peeta's is staying in this state for a week.  
It's only Rye, Graham, Justice and Kegan here.  
"You look nice." Rye comments.  
"I...why the...I cannot believe you guys would do this!" I shout.  
"It looks sexy." Graham shrugs.  
Then the front door opens and Peeta comes in with Noah and groceries.  
He doesn't notice me as he goes to the kitchen.  
When he comes back, his eyes widen in shock.  
"What the-" he cuts off. "You dyed your hair?" He asks. I pause.  
"Do you hate it? You better be honest with me or I swear-"  
"It's sexy and I love it." He says. He's being serious. I know because his eyes are dark blue.  
"Well I hate it," I say. "And I didn't do it. Your brothers did." I say. "And cousins."  
"And you let them?" He asks.  
"No," I say. "I woke up to it like this."  
"You slept through them washing your hair?" He asks incredulously. Then his eyes darken.  
Oh shit. They had to pick me up. And wash my hair.  
He looks pissed suddenly.  
"I cannot believe this!" He bursts.  
"You just said it was sexy!" Rye bursts.  
"I don't care what I said." Peeta growls.  
"It's fine," I cut in.  
"It is not fine!" Peeta bursts. He's completely pissed because he's never washed my hair, I know that for a fact.  
"Yes it is." I say calmly. "You can just take a shower with me later. Then you can wash my hair, and my body." Rye cries out.  
"That's not fair!" He explodes.  
"It's plenty fair." I say calmly.  
But they're not off the hook.  
Because I'm getting them revenge.  
Peeta's eyes are almost black.  
"Hi Momma!" Noah says happily, standing in front of me. I kneel down in front of him.  
"Hi honey," I say.  
He smiles and runs off again.  
"I have to go to the store." I announce.  
"Okay," Peeta says. I lean closer to him and put my lips a hairline from his, making it look like we're kissing to Rye and Graham, when really, we're not.  
"I'm getting revenge. Keep them here." I whisper, barely audible. I peck his lips and go upstairs. I slide on my flip flops and grab my phone, heading downstairs.  
"I'm taking Noah," I add. Peeta nods again. "Noah, come on. Lets go bye bye." I say.  
"We goin' bye bye?" He asks.  
"Yes honey," I take his hand and shoot Peeta a look, grabbing the car keys and walking outside, holding Noah's hand. I unlock the Jeep and opens his door, lifting him in and buckling him.  
I get in the drivers side and drive off. It's dark and stormy.  
I head to the store and get Noah out, holding his hand as I lead him to the hair products.  
"What color?" I ask him.  
"Green!" He screams, pointing at neon pink. I pick up the permanent box.  
"Pink," I say. "That's pink." I point to the color.  
"Pwnk," he says.  
"Yes. Pink." I repeat. He can't say it properly.  
I then I get neon purple, neon green and neon blue.  
Don't fuck with my hair.

It's storming so bad. We're driving home and I can hardly see anything at all.  
The car starts to slow down and I know something is up.  
I pull over just as the engine sputters and then stops completely.  
My car just stalled and it won't turn on. It's pouring so bad that I can't see.  
I pick up my phone and groan.  
Great. No service.  
It's only eleven in the morning.  
Noah fiddles with his hands, giggling.

This storm isn't going to stop any time soon. I sigh. Time is flying by and it's five at night. I still don't have any cell service. No matter how hard I try, the fucking car won't start.  
Noah is complaining about being hungry.  
I normally have crackers in here...  
I look through the center console, getting the animal crackers.  
I tear them open and hand them to him. He goes silent, munching away.  
Sure, I've eaten nothing today, and he's had breakfast, but still, I don't want him hungry.  
Eventually, around three hours later, at eight, almost nine, the rain slows down. I try for service again and get nothing.  
I sigh loudly, pissed.  
"Wanna home Mommy." Noah whines.  
"Me too baby, me too." I sigh.  
I know absolutely nothing about cars, so there's no way in hell I can look at it.  
But I have no choice.  
I sigh and get out of the car. Noah is crying now, tired, sweaty, hungry. He's just cranky.  
I lift the hood and stare at the engine thingy.  
I wish my fucking phone would fucking work but its a stupid piece of fucking shit.  
Noah is screaming on the top of his lungs. A car pulls over next to mine and I look up.  
"Need help?" A guy asks, probably my age. He's checking me out, that's obvious.  
I hesitate for a minute, running my left hand through my hair without thinking. The second he sees my ring, he stops checking me out.  
I still hesitate. What choice do I have?  
"Please," I exhale sharply, going around to get Noah from the car.  
He checks things on the engine.  
"The car is stalled." He says. "You probably got water in the engine from the rain." I stare at him.  
"I know absolutely nothing about cars." I say. He laughs.  
"The car is stupid and it wont turn on." He says. I rock back and forth on the balls of my feet. "Do you want me to give you a ride home?" He asks.  
That makes me uncomfortable and that's a bit over extreme. I hesitate.  
"Or you can use my phone." He says.  
"Please?" I ask. "The service on mine isn't working." I add.  
"Do you have Sprint?" He asks. I nod. "Their cell tower got struck by lightening so they don't have any service." He says. I sigh. He unlocks his phone and hands it to me.  
I shift Noah and dial Peeta, confused for a second when it goes right to voicemail. Oh yeah, he has Sprint.  
I dial Rye.  
"Hello?" He asks, sounding pissed.  
"Can I talk to Peeta?" I ask. He's silent for a long time.  
"Fine," he snaps. "PEETA YOUR WHORE IS ON THE PHONE!" He shouts.  
What did I do now?  
"Katniss?" Peeta asks, sounding hopeful.  
"Um...I have a small problem." I say.  
"What's wrong?" He asks.  
"Well I was driving home from the store at eleven and the car...is being stupid and won't turn on. Then this guy pulled over and he let me borrow his phone. I have no way of getting home and-"  
"Where are you?" He asks.  
"Um..." I look around. "I don't know." I say.  
"Did the guy touch you?" He demands.  
"No," I say.  
"Do you know what street your on?" He presses. I look around.  
"No..." I trail off.  
"We're on US nineteen, across from the Starbucks." The guy whispers.  
"Wait...US 19, across from Starbucks." I say.  
"Okay, I'm on the way." He pauses. "And Katniss?" He asks softly.  
Hmm?" I ask.  
"I love you," he says.  
"I love you too," I hang up and hand the guy his phone, closing the lid to the truck and sitting down on it, not caring that its wet. Noah is on my lap.  
"So..." The guy says. "What's your name?" He asks.  
"Katniss," I say.  
"Katniss?" He repeats. "Like the popular Katniss that the entire country is obsessing over?" He asks. I nod. "But your not her." He adds.  
"Actually..." I sigh. "I am her." I say. His eyes widen.  
"I knew you looks familiar." He says. He's not disrespectful. He's very polite and a gentlemen.  
"What about you? What's your name?" I ask.  
"I'm Travis." He says, sticking out his hand. I shake it.  
"Well...then it's nice to meet you." I say, ruffling Noah's hair. He's leaning against me, sucking his thumb.  
Travis and I make small talk. He's actually really nice and funny. He would be a good friend.  
"Momma hungry!" Noah whines.  
"I know honey. Daddy's on his way." I say to him gently. "Thank you, by the way." I say to Travis. "For helping me. I'd probably just be standing there doing absolutely nothing but staring." I say. He laughs.  
"I didn't really do anything," he says.  
"You let me borrow your phone." I say with a smile. We're not flirting, even though it would look like that to anyone else. We're just simply talking in a friendly way. He sticks his hands in his pockets and smiles.  
"Yeah, I guess so." He says. He's probably one of those people that don't accept being told they did something right. He's exactly like Peeta.  
"You know you don't have to wait for my husband to get here." I say quietly.  
"I know, but this world is pretty messed up, and you've already been through enough as it is." He says. I sigh.  
"I guess so." I mutter.  
The atmosphere goes to awkward quickly, and I couldn't be more happy when Peeta pulls up, Rye, Graham, Justice AND Kegan with him.  
How are Noah and I supposed to fit.  
Rye gets out.  
"Did you touch her?" He demands. Travis shakes his head.  
"He didn't do anything." I say to Rye.  
"But you did. You had us thinking you left again!" Rye shouts at me.  
"Rye, back off." Peeta says, walking over to Travis and shaking his hand. "Thanks for taking care of her and Noah." He says.  
"No problem," Travis says. Oh Peeta, always the gentlemen.  
I'm exahusted right now.  
"Daddy!" Noah says, reaching for him. Peeta picks him up.  
"What are we gonna do with this?" I ask, patting the hood of my Jeep, that I am still sitting on. The five guys, six, counting Noah, are silent for a while. I see girls my age walking past, glaring at me. One of them actually flicks me off.  
"Lucky bitch!" One of them shouts. I snicker.  
"What is she talking about?" Peeta asks.  
"One girl, five guys, not counting Noah." I say. They look confused.  
"And they have no guys, and there's three girls." I add. Rye snickers and looks at the girls. He narrows his eyes slightly and then whistles loudly.  
"Damn!" He says loudly. "Hey sexy! Got a boyfriend?" He walks off. I see Kegan, Justice and Graham do the same. I roll my eyes.  
"Men," I say, laying down on the hood, yawning. Travis snaps his fingers.  
"We can jump it! I completely forgot I could do that!" He says.  
"Perfect idea." Peeta says.  
"What?" I ask stupidly.  
Peeta knows I know not a single thing about cars.  
"We're going to turn your car on again." He says.  
"Tried that, don't work." I say. He laughs and takes my hand, pulling me down. He hands me Noah and then lifts the lid again. Travis walks to his car.  
"He he touch you? Honestly?" Peeta whispers once he's gone.  
"No." I say.  
"Was he checking you out?" He asks.  
"Yes, but the second he saw the ring he stopped." I whisper. He looks hesitant and then nods.  
I look up to see Rye making out with some chick he doesn't even know. I snicker.  
"Watch this," I whisper to Peeta. He looks up at me.  
"HEY! THAT'S MY BOYFRIEND!" I shout. The girl breaks away from Rye and slaps him across the face.  
"You said you were single! Jerk!" She storms off. Peeta and I are cracking up, along with Travis, Justice, Kegan and Graham. Rye comes storming over to me and kicks a puddle of mud all over my jeans. Then he begins laughing.  
"Hold your son." I growl at Peeta. He doesn't even bother trying to stop me. "You think this is funny? That was part of your pay back." I say, shoving him. "But now I'm gonna make sure you get it much worse." I shove him again.  
"You just made a hot girl stop kissing me!" Rye bursts as I shove him again. I follow him when he jerks backwards. Neither one of us hear the scream of the guys as we step out onto one of the busiest streets in Florida. US19.  
I shove him again.  
"A girl who's name you don't even know!" I burst.  
I shove him one more time. Suddenly, he gasps, grabs me and throws himself backwards, taking me down with him. We crash onto the street, me directly on top of him.  
He's panting, and so am I.  
Noah is screaming hysterically and the guys are shouting random words. Our faces are so close out lips are almost touching. I can feel his heavy breath on my lips.  
I'm shaking a bit, terrified.  
He slowly stands up, holding his hand out to me to take. He pulls me up off the street. We're in the spot right next to the barrier that switches lanes. We're in the bike lane type thing, only it's not the bike lane.  
We almost got hit by a semi. We would have, if Rye hadn't noticed.  
"Are you okay?" He asks. I nod.  
"You?" I ask. He nods.  
The second there's a break in traffic, he grabs my wrist and bolts across the street.  
Noah is screaming "mommy" hysterically. The rest of the guys look terrified beyond words.  
"You just..." Peeta doesn't even know what to say. He actually hugs Rye, and then me.  
I really need to watch where I'm going. Noah is traumatized.  
I take Noah, who is still screaming for me.  
I kneel down in the mud, not caring. I stand him up in front of me.  
"Noah honey," I say. "Moma's right here." I whisper. He climbs into my lap and continues screaming.  
I shift him and stand up. Peeta's already moving the carseat to his truck.  
"Go wait in the car," he says, his voice pained. "Please." He whispers.  
I'm not gonna argue with him.  
He takes Noah and puts him in the carseat.

PEETA'S POV

Why does he have to go and make her mad? Rye knows how short her temper is.  
"Take your son," Katniss growls at me. I don't see the point in arguing. That's only going to get her more angry.  
I silently take Noah. She begins to argue with Rye, shoving him. I can't even hear her.  
They start to get closer and closer to the street.  
She shoves Rye into the street and all of us start shouting.  
They don't hear.  
A semi starts barreling towards them, driving as fast as Katniss does.  
They don't move.  
Just when I swear I'm about to watch my brother and my wife die, Rye grabs Katnkss and flings himself backwards, taking Katniss with him.  
Noah is traumatized, screaming for Katniss.  
Rye helps her up and then pulls her across the street.  
I hug him. He just saved my wife's life, and he's my brother.  
I release him and turn to Katniss.  
I want so badly to lash out on her, but she looks so scared that I can't possibly do it.  
I hug her tightly.

KATNISS'S POV

I didn't mean to upset him. I'm not stupid; I know he's mad at me.  
Noah is still screaming.  
I go to get out of the car, but Peeta shakes his head and points at the car.  
Fine then. The doors are closed, so he can't hear Noah.  
I'm completely covered in mud.  
I sigh and rest my head against the window.  
Then I remember my payback is in the Jeep.  
I get out of the car anyways.  
"Katniss!" Peeta bursts.  
I ignore him and walk to my jeep, opening the door behind the drivers side to get the bag of hairdye. I have tears running down my cheeks. I didn't mean to upset him, but he's mad at me. I have a headache and I'm exahusted and hungry and I really just want to go home.  
"Katniss, I said stay in the car." He says. And I get why he wants me in the car. He wants to make sure I'm safe.  
"I know!" I snap. I shouldn't have done that. He's only being nice to me because I'm being nice to him.  
"Don't get all pissy with me. I'm not the one that ran in front of a semi." He says.  
I raise my head to glare at him.  
"Yes, because I purposely walked in front of a semi." I hiss. "That makes perfect sense."  
He goes to say something but I just shake my head and get back in the truck, slamming the door. Rye says something to Peeta and Peeta says something back angrily and then Rye says something else and Peeta says something.  
I don't even want to deal with his bullshit right now.  
I drop the bag on the ground and drop my head in my hands.  
Noah is still screaming.  
I sigh loudly and get out of the car. Peeta whips around.  
"My patience is running thin. Don't piss me off." I warn him. He looks pissed.  
I open the back door and get Noah from his carseat, sitting on the floor of the truck. I set him on my muddy lap. It's not like I have much of a choice.  
I kiss his head and then start to hum a song. Rye and Peeta start shouting at each other, making Noah scream louder in panic.  
I swear.  
I stand up and Peeta turns around again, his eyes black.  
"What!" He bursts. I stare at him.  
"Nothing," I say. Travis looks extremely uncomfortable. All the guys are screaming at one another now. Travis sits in the bed of his truck, looking uncomfortable but extremely amused.  
What am I supposed to do?  
"HEY!" I shout over them, making all of them shut up. "Either you fuckers fix my car, or I'm going to call a fucking taxi. I'm tired and hungry and I feel disgusting, and the exact same with Noah." I say.  
They completely ignore me and go right back to screaming at one another.  
This is the last option I have.  
I buckle Noah into his carseat and turn to face them.  
I know Peeta is the reason for all of this.  
So I have no choice.  
I force myself to cry.  
Travis looks at me and shakes his head, shaking with silent laughter.  
I open up the door to the truck and sit down, dropping my head into hands, sobbing loudly as I think of the saddest things I can muster. The guys go completely silent.  
Mix my hysterical crying with Noah's hysterical crying, and you've got one sad Daddy.  
Seconds later, arms envelop me.  
Ha. Told you. I know it's Peeta without looking up.  
He lifts me up and holds me while I cry into his shoulder.  
Somehow, the tears turn real.  
"D-do you hate me?" I choke out in a whisper.  
"No," he mumbles sadly. "You know I love you." He whispers. I'm just so tired and so hungry.  
"I wanna go home," I whine.  
My Jeep roars to life.  
"Rye's gonna drive it home with the guys." He whispers.  
"Hey Travis bro! Got any plans?" Rye asks.  
"Nope," Travis says.  
"Come over with us and have a drink!" Rye says. We're all adults except for Noah. Kegan is eighteen, Justice is twenty, Rye is 25, Graham is 27 and...I don't know how old Travis is.  
Peeta pulls away to look at me, wiping my tears.  
"Is it your house?" Travis asks.  
"No, but who cares, come over!" Rye says.  
"Who's house is it?" Travis presses. They all look at us. Peeta and I have a silent conversation.  
"You can come." Peeta says.  
"Alright...I'll follow you then." Travis says.  
Peeta sets me in the car and swats my hand away when I go to buckle my seatbelt, buckling it for me.  
"You just want your face near my boobs." I say under my breath. He laughs and gets in the drivers side after shutting my door.  
We wait till everyone is in their cars. He starts driving.  
"So what is the payback, exactly?" He asks.  
"Well..." I grab the bag and rest the four boxes of hairdye on my muddy lap. He snickers.  
"Want help?" He asks.  
"Sure," I say, putting the bags back. "I can't wait," I say.  
"You know..." He begins. "Your muddy...I'm muddy now..." He looks at me when we stop at a light. "And you've got to take a shower and so do I..."  
"Yes, lets take a shower together." I say. "Now drive faster," I press. He laughs and drive faster. "But after we calm Noah." I say.  
"Lets just calm him now." He says. "Sing," he presses.  
"Okay um..." I think for a while and then start to drum my hands softly on the dashboard as the perfect song pops into mind.

_Love of mine, some day you will die__  
__But I'll be close behind__  
__I'll follow you into the dark__  
__No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white__  
__Just our hands clasped so tight__  
__Waiting for the hint of a spark__If Heaven and Hell decide__  
__That they both are satisfied__  
__Illuminate the "No"'s on their vacancy signs__  
__If there's no one beside you__  
__When your soul embarks__  
__Then I'll follow you into the dark__In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule__  
__I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black__  
__And I held my tongue as she told me,__  
__"Son, fear is the heart of love."__  
__So I never went back__If Heaven and Hell decide__  
__That they both are satisfied__  
__Illuminate the "No"'s on their vacancy signs__  
__If there's no one beside you__  
__When your soul embarks__  
__Then I'll follow you into the dark__You and me have seen everything to see__  
__From Bangkok to Calgary__  
__And the soles of your shoes are all worn down__  
__The time for sleep is now__  
__It's nothing to cry about__  
__'Cause we'll hold each other soon__  
__In the blackest of rooms__If Heaven and Hell decide__  
__That they both are satisfied__  
__Illuminate the "No"'s on their vacancy signs__  
__If there's no one beside you__  
__When your soul embarks__  
__Then I'll follow you into the dark__  
__Then I'll follow you into the dark_  
Noah's asleep. The second we pull unit a driveway, Peeta and I exchange a look.  
My entire family is out front, and Peeta's entire family is out front. Even Mrs. Mellark. We exchange a look and get out of the car. They're screaming at each other.  
I completely ignore them and get Noah from the car. He WAS asleep, but they woke him up.  
"Oh look here! It's the fucking whore!" Mrs. Mellark shouts at me.  
I feel bad for Travis. The guys pull up in my Jeep.  
"Peeta, that boy isn't yours!" Mrs. Mellark shouts. Peeta glances at me and then shakes his head and remains silent.  
Travis walks next to me.  
"Um...what's happening?" He asks.  
"To be completely honest..." I look around at all of them. "I haven't got a clue."  
"And this is probably the bitches new toy!" She shouts.  
Neighbors are outside now. I wonder how long this is been going on for.  
"Peeta." I say under my breath. "What's happening?" I ask.  
"I...was hoping you would know." He says.  
"Katniss isn't the player! It's Peeta, you bitch!" Prim shouts.  
This is ridiculous.  
I hand Noah to Peeta and then climb up onto the hood of Peeta's truck.  
"HEY!" I scream. They go silent. "What the hell is happening to us? Sure, Peeta and I broke up because of a misunderstanding, but look at you guys! You guys were inseparable! You did everything together! Now you guys are standing outside, at ten at night, screaming at one another! What's past is past! Would you just cut it out? This is so stupid! Don't stop being friends just because of me and Peeta!" I say.  
"I'm doing this for my son." Mrs. Mellark says. "You have broken his heart to many times and I'm am done with it." She says.  
"Katniss is right." Peeta starts. "And Mom...can you leave please? Your making me sick just to look at you." He says.  
"After all I've done for you?" She snarls.  
"Leave," I speak up. "All of you. Go away." I say. "Leave me and Peeta, and Noah and Rye and Graham and Justice and Kegan and Travis alone." I say.  
"Yeah seriously, go away." Peeta says.  
"No. I'm not leaving." Mrs. Mellark crosses her arms.  
"Okay, then I'll call the cops and tell them your disturbing my wife and child and you refused to leave when you were asked." He says.  
I hop off the hood and onto the grass.  
Mrs. Mellark storms over to me and goes to slap me across the face, but Peeta grabs her wrist.  
"Don't come near me, or my wife, or my child ever again. I don't want to see you." He says strongly. "I don't want my son to see you, and I don't want my wife to see you."  
"What about me?" Mr. Mellark asks.  
"You can. Just don't bring her with you." Peeta says. "The same goes for the rest of you, but I don't want to see any of you till you solve this...family fude." He adds.  
He grabs my bag of revenge and then locks the car, Rye locking the jeep and then handing me the keys.  
Travis locks his truck.  
Then, without a word, Peeta grabs my hand and pulls me up the steps, unlocking the front door. The guys walk in and then me and Peeta, him holding Noah.  
Peeta turns around.  
"I'm locking this door. The only person letting any of you in this house will be Katniss." He shuts the door and locks it.  
"Just...do whatever." Peeta says. "Help yourselves to anything in the fridge." He adds.  
I slip off my shoes and allow him to pull me upstairs. I start a bath immediately, taking Noah from him and stripping him down, shutting the bathroom door.  
"I can't believe they would show up." I say as I tug off my muddy jeans and shirt.  
"Wait," Peeta starts. "We're covered in mud. If we're not clean, we're gonna be no good to him." He coughs awkwardly. He always does that when something's awkward or when he's implying something." I look up at him with a smirk and roll my eyes, crouched next to the tub.  
"Peeta," I say carefully. "You just want sex."  
"I do not," he says.  
"Peeta," I smile again.  
"I don't!" He protests.  
"So your telling me, that if I didn't have my bra and underwear on right now," I look down at myself. "That you would have no reaction whatsoever?" He stares at me.  
"Fine," he says. "You got me." I snicker. "But we seriously can't help him till we're clean, and you know that's true." He says. He's right, but I'm not about to let him win. I hear the voices of the guys out back. My eyes light up when I get an idea.  
"Wanna scare the shit out of them?" I ask.  
"How?" He asks nervously.  
"Lets just off the balcony into the pool." I say. I know he doesn't like heights.  
"No, I am not doing that." He says.  
"Okay, I will, though." I say.  
"No you won't," he blocks the door. "You're going to get yourself killed." He says. "First the semi, and now you want to jump off a balcony." He shakes his head.  
"Well we can't take a shower together and someone has to watch Noah, so one of us has to shower while the other watches Noah." I say. Peeta snaps his fingers and then gets a diaper and puts it on Noah.  
Without a word, he picks him up and walks out.  
I stare after him, not able to follow him because I'm in my bra and underwear.  
I sigh audibly and sit down on the edge of the tub.  
Around five minutes later, he comes back.  
"The guys are watching him." He says.  
"Okay," I say quietly. He looks nervous as I stand up. He stares at me. "What's wrong?" I ask.  
"Nothing," he says quickly.  
"Peeta," I say again. "What's wrong?" I know something's wrong. He sighs.  
"Nothing," he says. I cross my arms. "Katniss, it's just..." He shuts the bathroom door and locks it. "Nothing, never mind." I sigh, irritated and then start the shower.  
When I turn back around, he's in his boxers. How does he change that fast? He looks nervous.  
Is that what's wrong? Why is he nervous?  
I stare at him.  
"What's wrong?" I whisper.  
"Katniss, nothing's wrong, I swear." He says.  
"Well you looks...nervous. Why are you nervous?" I ask. He shrugs.  
"Because I'm being an idiot." He says.  
"You know we don't have to do this-" he cuts me off with a gentle kiss.  
"I want to," I stare at him for a while.  
"Why aren't you naked yet?" I then demand.

I go to dry my hair, but he grabs my wrist. I'm dressed in shorts and one if my old t-shirts, and bra and underwear, obviously.  
"What?" I demand.  
"Let me. Please." He whispers. Well I'm not gonna say no to him. I hand him my towel and he dries my hair. Then he hangs up the towel and grabs my hairbrush. He brushes my hair in silence, his eyes locked with mine in the mirror.  
"Rye is forgiven," he says. I laugh.  
"I'm not that bad blond..." I turn my head to one side, then the other  
"Agreed," he sets my hairbrush down and pulls me downstairs. Noah is sound asleep on the couch with his teddy bear. They guys are out back on the patio with beers.  
Peeta and I slip out.  
"Yes Katniss, Noah are dinner. And we gave him a bath." Rye says. I raise my eyebrows.  
Peeta slips back inside.  
"Enjoy yourself?" Rye asks.  
Does he not know we were taking a shows together? That Peeta washed my hair body.  
And lets be honest...we weren't only taking a shower.  
"Yeah," I plop down on the outdoor couch.  
Peeta comes back with beers. He stares at me and I silently lift my legs for him to sit down.  
I then sit up.  
"Okay so...let's play a game." Rye says as Peeta passes beers to everyone old enough to eat, handing soda's to Justice and Kegan.  
"Wait...Travis, how old are you?" I ask.  
"Twenty three." He says.  
I nod.  
"Okay, what game?" I ask.  
"Um...I don't remember the name, so I'll just explain." Kegan sits up. "Basically, someone has to say something they've never done, and everyone else that has done it has to drink." He says. I smirk.  
"Sounds entertaining." I say. He laughs.  
"Lets okay," Peeta says.  
"Kegan's first." I say. I don't normally drink, and everyone but Travis knows that.  
But I'm going to tonight, but I'm just not doing to get drunk.  
"Okay um..." He thinks. "I've never...touched a girls boobs." He says. All the guys drink and I just sit there.  
"Let's go Clockwise." I say. So the order is Kegan, Travis, Graham, Rye, Me, then Peeta.  
"Okay then," Travis begins.  
"And we're all adults here, so lets not do stupid shit." Rye interjects. It's raining but we're not getting wet because this patio is under the roof, but it's still a hundred percent outside. It's really hard to explain. (The link to see their house is in my bio, leave a review and tell me if you want me to leave one of Noah now)  
"Let me think," Travis says. "Okay..." He says. "I didn't have sex in college." He says. I don't drink, and neither does Peeta or Kegan. Rye, Justice and Graham do though, no surprise there. Kegan isn't even in college yet.  
Next is Graham.  
"I've never had sex with Katniss." He says. Peeta drinks and I snicker.  
"Wait...I have to ask." Rye puts up a finger. "How many times have you had sex?" He asks. I look at Peeta and laugh loudly.  
"I haven't got a clue." I say.  
"When's the last time you had sex?" Travis asks through laughter.  
"Like...twenty minutes ago." I say. Rye's eyes widen and I laugh.  
"Lucky bitch," he grumbles at Peeta. "Anyways..." It's his turn. "Okay..." He sighs, thinking. "Um..." He sighs. "Actually, this has nothing to do with this, but I think I may um...have a kid." He says. Our jaws drop.  
"What?" Peeta gasps.  
"Well...I was going to watch a movie and..." He sighs and reaches into his pocket, setting a pregnancy test that has two little pink lines on it.  
"You found this is the VCR?" Peeta asks. My eyes widen and I tense.  
"Yes. I have no clue who's it is." He looks nervous.  
I struggle not to laugh, but I give in, hysterical, my head back against the couch, my hands over my eyes, the beer in between my legs. I can't contain it.  
"Katniss! This is serious!" Peeta scolds.  
"I know the kid." I say through hysterical, uncontrolled laughter.  
"You do?" Rye sits up. I laugh harder and pick the test up. They all look disgusted. I laugh even harder, spilling my drink all over the ground.  
"Katniss!" Rye bursts. I suck in a breath and fall silent, but when I see the intense look in his eyes, I burst out laughing again.  
"Is she drunk?" Travis asks.  
"No clue. She doesn't normally drink. She's never had one beer, sit his is a start. She's never been drunk, either." Peeta says. I try as hard as I can to stop laughing and my stomach hurts to bad that I'm actually crying, both from laughing and the pain.  
It's almost ten minutes before I stop, gasping.  
"This is mine!" I say, waving the test around. "When I found out I was pregnant with Noah, I his this in your VCR because I didn't know where to his it and everyone rarely watched movies on VCR anymore, so I hid it and never got around to take it back out!" I say.  
"It's yours?" Rye asks. I nod, trying not to laugh. "Oh fuck! Gross!" He walks out into the rain and soaks his hands. "You pissed on that!"  
Peeta gets up and comes back with another beer, handing my his half empty one and taking the full one.  
"I can't think of anything for the game." Rye says after a minute.  
"Lets just play truth or dare." I say. "But our age, not Audrey's, where the most daring thing you can do is sneak a cookie." I say.  
"Good idea," Rye says. "Same order, so me first." He says. "Katniss, truth or dare." He says immedatedly. He probably has the perfect dare. Ha, not happening.  
"Rule first!" I say, practically reading his mind. "Anyone with a ring cannot be dared to kiss or touch anyone else sexually." I say.  
"Agreed," Peeta says.  
"That's no fun!" Rye says. "No emotion!" He says. "We can dare anyone to do anything but it means nothing!" He says. Peeta and I exchange a look.  
"Fine," I grumble.  
"Now truth or dare!" Rye asks.  
"Truth," I know him too well. He glares at me.  
"And nobody is allowed to make Katniss strip." Peeta growls, glaring at everyone.  
"Fair enough," Travis says.  
"Fine your truth is...have you ever pleasures yourself?" He stares at me intently. Everyone falls silent. I don't want to answer this one, but they're only going to get worse as it goes on. I take a swing from the beer.  
"Yes," I say. "When I was..." I think for a second. "Sixteen, I think." I say. They all laugh and I take another swig from the beer. "Please don't let me get drunk." I say to Peeta. He knows how I feel about that.  
I'm going to end up getting drunk anyways, I can tell.  
"My turn." I say. "Um..." I sigh. "Graham, truth or dare?" I ask.  
"Dare," he says.  
"I dare you to make out with Rye for three minutes." All the guys 'ohhhhhh!' While laughing.  
"No!" Rye says.  
"You have to! It's the rules!" I say. They both look like they're gonna throw up.  
I dig through Peeta's pocket and get his phone, unlocking it and going to the timer, taking another swig from the bud light.  
"Starting...now!" They begin to kiss. I exchange a look with the other guys and then go to video and start to take one. I turn the camera to myself.  
"They're brothers!" I mouth, turning the screen back to them.  
This is only part of their payback.  
The timer goes off and I end the video and then stop the ringing.  
"I'm gonna be sick," Rye says.  
"Get away from me! Go to the ocean!" He runs towards the sea and I post the video to YouTube on my channel and put in the description "my brother in laws, Rye and Graham Mellark completing a dare. This is what they get for dying my hair blond when I was asleep!  
I post it and Peeta snickers.  
"Boys?" I ask when Rye comes back. "Don't dye my hair." I show them the screen and their faces pale.  
"Your gonna get it!" Rye shouts. I laugh.  
"This is only part of your payback." I take another swig from the beer.  
"Katniss, truth or dare?" Graham asks, his eyes black from anger.  
"Truth," I say. He huffs. I'm not saying dare for either one of them.  
"Fine..." He thinks for a while. "Have you ever lied to any guy to keep him from having sex with you? And you have to name the guy." He says.  
I'm silent for a long time as I think. Peeta is obviously the only guy.  
"Yes," I say. " to Peeta obviously." I add. "He was annoying me and I uh...told him I had to go to my Mom's to help Prim with homework, but...I went to the mall with Annie instead." I say. They all start laughing.  
"I called your Mom because you weren't answering the phone. She said that you weren't there and you hadn't been. Then she said that you went to the mall with Annie. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to upset you." He explains. Well it's my turn again.  
"Um...Kegan, truth or dare." I say.  
"Truth, I don't trust you." He says.  
"Okay, have you lost your V card?" I ask.  
"Yeah, last year." He says. "Travis, truth or dare."  
"Dare," Travis says.  
"Oh, it's so obvious your new here." I say, shaking my head with a smirk as I down the last sip of the beer.  
I get a weird feeling, like I want another one. Panic overwhelms me as I think of my alcoholic father.  
I set the empty beer can down, feeling like I'm gonna be sick.  
"I'll be right back," I gasp, getting up and running upstairs.  
I hardly make it to the toilet before I'm throwing up.  
Peeta is immediately there, holding my hair while rubbing my back.  
He flushes the toilet and I brush my teeth.  
He's not stupid, he knows exactly what I'm thinking right now. I spit out the foam and wash out my mouth.  
"I'm just like him." I whisper.  
"No your not," he whispers back. "You had one beer in your entire life, and then you threw up all of it. You are not like him." He says, pulling me into his arms.  
"I don't want to be like him." I whimper.  
"You won't. I won't let that happen." He whispers.  
We're both silent for a while and then we go back downstairs.  
"What happened?" Rye asks as we sit back down.  
"I threw up..." I say.  
"Why?" He asks, shocked.  
"It doesn't matter." Peeta cuts in. I lean against Peeta's shoulder.  
"My turn," Travis says. "Katniss, truth or dare?" He asks.  
"Um...dare," Rye and Graham look pissed but they say nothing.  
"Okay um..." He sighs. "I really want to hear you sing, because I have a stupid hunch that was auto tune, so...sing." He says.  
"Sing one you wrote when we broke up. I know you wrote them." Peeta presses. I shut my eyes for a second and then slowly let out a breath of air and stand up, running my hand through my hair to keep it out of my eyes.  
"I'll be right back..." I trail off as I slip inside.  
I go upstairs and get my guitar and then go down to the kitchen and get a few bags of chips and a soda and then go back out, dropping the chips on the table, setting my soda on the ground.  
(This song is going to be "I almost do," by Taylor Swift, but I changed the word "city" to "country")  
"Okay...I wrote this before I had a hunch that I misread the...well you know." I say quietly. They all nod intently. I let out a slow breath again and then start to strum.  
Right when I finish the song, they don't say a single word.  
"Wow," Travis says. I shrug.  
"My turn," I say, struggling with the tab on my soda can. Peeta kisses my cheek and takes it from me, popping it open. Lets see...  
"Justice, truth or dare?" I ask.  
"Dare," he says deviously, rubbing his hands together.  
"I dare you to go out front and hug Prim, butt naked." I say. I know both families are still out there because we can hear them faintly shouting at one another. "Actually, not Prim. Your Dad." I say. His dad is Cinna. He looks like he's gonna be sick. We all stand up. He slowly strips naked and I look anywhere but him. The only guy that will ever appeal to me naked will be Peeta.  
Justice heads outside and we follow him. I refuse to look.  
He opens the front door and everyone shrieks and cover the children's eyes.  
"Justice!" Portia scolds her son.  
He slowly walks towards Cinna.  
"Boy, don't you d-" Cinna begins. Justice hugs him and he doesn't move a muscle.  
I put my hands over my eyes.  
Justice shoves past me and into the house.  
"Katniss," Peeta whispers in my ear. "I think we should let them in the house."  
"Why?" I whisper back.  
"Katniss its pouring and Audrey looks sick." He says.  
I lower my hands and look at Audrey, who looks really sick, like she has a fever.  
"Fine," I say.  
"You guys can come inside." Peeta says quietly. "If you wake up Noah though...just please don't fight." He begs.  
"Thank you," Jessica breaths, Jordan picking up Audrey. Everyone files into the house. Peeta and I exchange an irritated look as we go inside behind them.  
"Woah!" Johanna says loudly. "Your blond!" She exclaims. I glare at Rye, Graham, Kegan and Justice, who is clothes again.  
"Sadly," I say.  
"Well you sure act like it." Mrs. Mellark snarls. Peeta looks furious.  
"Stop being a bitch to her." He growls. They begin to have an argument. I don't bother trying to calm Peeta. He's angry and he'll probably just ignore me anyways.  
I turn around and walk into the kitchen.  
I get the kid Tylenol and pour the right amount and then make tea and put some honey in it.  
I set them on the counter and head upstairs. I get one of my old t-shirts and a towel and go backdown, handing them to Jessica.  
"Here, for Audrey. I've got medicine and some tea with honey in the kitchen to help her throat." I explain. She stares at me for a long time and then accepts the towel and shirt.  
"Thank you so much." She whispers.  
"Your welcome," I say.  
"Thanks, Katniss," Jordan says warmly.  
"Why are you conversing with the enemy?" Mrs. Mellark hisses at her sister and brother in law.  
"The enemy?" Peeta bursts.  
"Oh shut up Renee. Your just pissed that Katniss is a better person than you!" Jessica says as she helps Audrey change into my shirt.  
I go into the kitchen and come back with the medicine and the tea. Audrey wrinkles her nose.  
"No!" She cries. I kneel down in front of her.  
"It's gonna help you feel better, I promise." I say. She makes a sad face and then takes the medicine from me and drinks it. I hand her the tea, which is in one of Noah's sippy cups. She drinks some.  
"Thank you Katniss." She says.  
"Your welcome," I say. Mrs. Mellark and Peeta are still arguing.  
"I don't see why you love her! She's some skank! Do you know how many guys she's probably had sex with!" She bursts.  
"Don't call her a skank! The only person she's ever had sex with is me!" He says.  
"You don't know that, you just listen to what she says." Mrs. Mellark says back angrily.  
"Of course I listen to what she says! She's my wife and I love her!" Peeta snaps.  
"Why do you love her? Tell me. Actually, tell all of us. I'm curious because in my eyes, she's a terrible person." She snarls. Peeta goes off, listing a ton of things about me.  
"No," Mrs. Mellark says. "You don't love her. Your faking." She says.  
" I am not!" Peeta says.  
"Yes you are. I can tell when they child is lying." She says.  
"Obviously you can't." Peeta hisses back at her.  
"I can and you know that. You need to divorce her." She says.  
"I'm not gonna divorce her." Peeta says.  
"And why not! She's terrible for you!" Mrs. Mellark growls.  
"She's better then any person I have ever met in my entire life." He says.  
"No she's not!" Mrs. Mellark says. "Come on Peeta! She's stupid!" Peeta snorts.  
"Katniss has more intelligence in one single strand of hair then you have in your entire body. Your an idiot to call her stupid." He says.  
"Your an idiot to think she's smart." Mrs. Mellark says.  
"Your a real bitch, you know that?" Peeta says.  
"She's the bitch. And a whore and an asshole." She snaps. All the words leaving her mouth feel like a thousand needles entering my skin. "She's weak and immature and selfish." She adds, pissed.  
"I don't understand why you don't like her." Peeta says.  
"She broke your heart!" Mrs. Mellark shouts.  
"I broke her heart and she left." Peeta says.  
"Because she can't work through her problems by having a reasonable conversation." Mrs. Mellark says. Peeta looks so angry...  
His eyes drift to me and then soften.  
"Leave," he says. He drags his eyes from mine and back to his mother. "Go. Get out. You've upset my wife and I hate you. Get off our property in thirty seconds or I'm calling the police." He says. Mrs. Mellark whips around to face me, her eyes pitch black.  
"So what? You think your awesome and everyone loves you? Your not. None of us like you. Your a terrible person and we all hate you. Peeta doesn't love you, he's just delusional. I hope you know I hate you. We all hate you, even your side of the family, and Noah, and Peeta." She snarls.  
Is that true? Is it?  
It's not. I know damn well it's not.

PEETA'S POV

She's struggling not to cry. Her eyes are light grey, her arms crossed.  
My mother is a complete bitch and I seriously hate her with all my heart. She's so...I don't even have a word vicious enough to describe her.  
Katniss looks broken but says nothing, although tears are in her eyes and she's trying to keep her bottom lip from trembling.  
"And look. Now your trying not to cry because you know I'm right." She snarls.  
Katniss's eyes go from light to pitch black in an instant.  
She's not sad, she's pissed. Livid.  
"Actually, asshole, I'm trying not to cry because I feel so bad for everyone in this room, especially your husband and three sons for having to live with you for so long. I never want to hear our sons name leave your lips in front of me again or so help me god-" she sucks in a breath, more angry than I think I have ever seen her. "I don't care who you are, but you better get the fuck out of his house before I drag you by your hair." She snarls. To my surprise, my father speaks up.  
"You'll get the divorce papers in the mail." Dad says casually. Mom-Renee stares at him.  
"Jacob-" she starts.  
"Don't Renee. Your threw my grandson into the ocean at two years old. Your an asshole to MY daughter in law and MY son. I no longer love you and we're getting a divorce. No amount of pleading can change my mind, so I'd prefer if you just saved your tears and pleads for someone else's ears." Dad doesn't look a tiny bit upset.  
Mom storms over to slap him, but Katniss moves quickly and grabs her wrist.  
"Don't touch my family." She says.  
Mom goes to use her other hand to slap her, but Dad grabs her wrist.  
I am so proud right now that I can't help but cheer and start clapping.  
Rye and Graham almost immediately join, and then everyone is clapping, even Aunt Jessica, who is Renee's sister.  
My very tired, very confused son comes downstairs with his teddy bear, sucking the life out of his thumb.  
He sees everyone clapping and then a grin spreads across his lips and he drops his bear, screaming "yay!" While clapping along.  
Renee rips both her wrists from Katniss and Dad's grip and storms out of the house, slamming the door behind her.  
Dad hugs Katniss and the cheers only get louder.  
When he pulls away, Katniss is crying, but not sad, happy. Dad says something to her and she nods.  
Finally our lives are back to normal.

**Again, the link to their house is in my bio.****  
****If you want me to add the picture of Noah, tell me in your review and I will.****  
****Again, I apologize for the wait****  
****Disclaimer: I don't own anything****  
****-KatPeeta22**


	33. Chapter 33

I'm going to end this story next chapter and make a sequel

KATNISS'S POV

My alarm is blaring. Everyone is asleep in the house. It's three in the morning and I set an alarm because its time to get payback on Rye, Graham, Justice and Kegan. Travis slept over too.  
"Katniss!" Peeta groans. I shut off my alarm and sit up. "What are you doing! It's three in the morning!" He whispers.  
"Getting payback." I whisper, throwing the covers off me and standing up. He groans again.  
"You do that." He flips back over, his face in his pillow with him arms tucked under the pillow. I know the four boys are extremely heavy sleepers.  
I have a bucket too, containing the four hair dyes. I have bottles and bottles of water in the bucket. I slip downstairs and get to work. I put a pink stripe in Rye's hair, then blue, then green and then purple, all the colors neon. He doesn't even move. His blond hair is non existent. I do the same in his eyebrows.  
I do the same for the other three, all in different orders.  
Now for the hard part.  
I do Rye first. He dump a bottle of water on his head and start to wash it out. He stirs and I freeze. He sighs in his sleep and then does nothing.  
I bite my lip and keep going. It's neon. It's already been almost three hours. I had to make it perfect and it's time costly.  
"Katniss-" Prim starts loudly. Graham stirs. I spring forward and clamp my hand over her mouth. Graham does the exact same thing as Rye; sighing and then doing nothing.  
"What the hell are you doing?" Prim whispers through silent laughter.  
"Getting payback for them dying my hair!" I whisper as I wash the rest of Graham's hair out. The sun is coming up. "Come help me! People are going to be waking up soon!" I hiss. "There's a bucket in the garage!" I add. She smirks and gets up.  
I move on to Justice. It's going to be seven in five minutes.  
Prim does Kegan and I do Justice.  
When we finish, it's eight their hair is completely neon, along with their eyebrows.  
"Destroy the evidence!" I hiss.  
She helps me as we gather all the garbage and run across the street in our pajamas, throwing everything away in the neighbors trash.  
"I had nothing to do with this." She whispers when we get back into the living room.  
"Agreed," I say as she follows me into the kitchen. We wash our hands and then sit on the counter and wait.  
I hear a loud gasp and then Peeta comes into the kitchen, shaking with silent laughter. Prim and I laugh silently with him.  
"Holy shit!" Travis shouts. His booming laughter fills the house. I usher Prim and Peeta out and then wait silently.  
"Oh dear!" Mom says. I even hear Noah laughing.  
"What's so fucking funny?" Rye bursts. There's a short pause and then I hear the loudest gasp I have ever heard.  
"IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" Rye screams. Then the four guys start shouting gibberish.  
"GET YOUR FUCKING ASS OUT HERE YOU LITTLE CUNT!" Justice screams.  
I hop off the counter and walk into the living room.  
"Is there a problem?" I ask without smiling or laughing. All of their eyes are black with furious anger.  
They exchange a look and then charge at me.  
I planned this. I may be short but I'm extremely flexible and agile and fast.  
I dart past them to the other side of the living room.  
"What makes you automatically assume I'm the one that did that?" I ask cooly.  
They don't bother answering.  
"Your gonna pay for this." Rye growls. He storms towards me and I burst out laughing as I step away from him. The entire family is hysterical.  
I know damn well that they're going to throw me into the ocean.  
But I've already got a plan.  
Not only did I take track in high school, but after months of begging from Finn and Annie, I joined the swim team.  
So not only can I run, but I can swim.  
And hold my breath for extremely long times.  
"All your gonna do is throw me in the water." I say. They all look like they want to kill me.  
"Maybe it's washable." Mr. Mellark suggests. All four if their eyes light up.  
Justice grab a water bottle off the table and dumps it all over his head.  
I don't even care that its in the house because the look on their faces are so funny that nothing can piss me off.  
I pick up my phone and start a video.  
"And this is the rest of their payback." I turn the camera to the four guys.  
"I'm gonna get you!" Rye shouts. I laugh.  
"That didn't work out so well last time." I say. "Oh by the way, I'm putting this on YouTube." I add.  
"No your not. I'll break your phone." Rye says.  
"Life proof." I say. He charges me and I laugh and back up, still holding the phone. I end the video.  
"Go ahead. Get me back." I say. The four of them stare at me.  
"Don't sleep," Rye warns.  
"I'm so scared." I tease.

...

A couple hours later, everyone has left.  
Noah is sitting on the floor with toys while watching Mickey and I'm laying on the couch with my legs on Peeta's lap.  
I'm scrolling through Instagram.  
I start to get a weird feeling.  
"I'm gonna go get something." I say.  
I jump up and force myself to walk up the stairs.  
The weird feeling escalades and then I'm flying to the bathroom, throwing up violently in the toilet. I knew that those eggs I had tasted weird. God dammit.  
I flush the toilet and then brush my teeth and go back downstairs.  
"I thought you were getting something?" Peeta asks.  
I lay back down on the couch.  
"Are you feeling okay?" I ask. He furrows his eyebrows.  
"I feel fine." He says. "Why?" He asks.  
"Because I just threw up..." He sets his phone down and gives me his full attention.  
"You did? Are you okay? Are you hungry? Do you need anything? I'll go to the store if you want me to." He frantically checks my forehead.  
"I feel fine," I say.  
"Your getting sick," he says. My stomach does feel weird...  
"Maybe..." I shrug.  
"Your getting the stomach flu." He says.  
"Okay, now that's a bit extreme." I say.  
"But I'm probably right." He says. I shrug.

**Next chapter is the last one and then I'm making a sequel. THE PICTURE OF NOAH IS UP**

**Diclaimer: I don't own anything**

**-KatPeeta22 **


	34. Chapter 34

**I understand this is really short and I'm sorry.**

It's been a month since that say I threw up and I've been throwing up every day for a month. Peeta has completely convinced himself I'm dying.  
I just don't understand.  
"I'm taking you to the hospital." Peeta says as I brush my teeth.  
"Peeta, I'm fine!" I say.  
"No you're not!" He protests. The family moved here, in Delray, I mean. They're all downstairs.  
I storm down there with an attitude, that I can't seem to control lately  
"I'm perfectly fine!" I exclaim.  
"No you're not!" He explodes. "You've been throwing up every single day for a month!" The family knows and they're all concerned.  
"So? I don't feel weird!" I say. "I feel perfectly fine! The doctor said I'm fine!" I say. Mom stands up.  
"Katniss." She says calmly. We not stop our argument and turn to her. She is a nurse, after all. "When's the last time you had your period?" She asks calmly.  
"Uh..." I think. "I don't remember." I say.  
"And it's almost July." She says. "Only July eighth it will be two full months since you got back together." She says. "Did you get your period last month?" I think for a long time.  
"No," I whisper.  
"What does her period have anything to do with this!" Peeta exclaims.  
"And you haven't gotten it this month." She presses.  
"No," I repeat.  
"Katniss honey, I don't think you're sick." She says. "I think your perfectly one hundred percent healthy."  
I stare at her.  
"When was the first time you had sex when you got back together?" She asks calmly.  
"The...morning on the...the tenth." I say. Yes, the tenth. Travis is here. He's dating Allison now, who is also here.  
"The tenth." She repeats. "Katniss, I think on the seventeenth of...July, you're going to be exactly two weeks pregnant."  
"And I agree one trillion percent." Allison says. She technically is my doctor.  
"But..." I try to come up with a reason why I wouldn't be pregnant, but I've got nothing. I'm moody, I'm getting morning sickness and I haven't had my period in almost two months. "But..." I try again.  
I sigh loudly and turn around, going back upstairs. Peeta follows me.  
"Are you mad at me?" He asks as I rummage through the bathroom cabinets.  
"Nope," I say.  
"Are you upset that we're having another kid? Because I'm ecstatic." He says. I am too, honestly.  
"I'm excited, but I'm not going to let myself get to happy just to find out that in not pregnant." I say. I find the box of pregnancy tests and pull on out.  
He shuts the bathroom door. I piss on the stick and set it on the counter, flushing and drumming my fingers on the counter.  
Around a minute later, I shut my eyes and keep counting down to the right time in my head.  
I'm panicked.  
"Katniss open your eyes." His voice sounds calm. I force them open and peer down at the test.  
The two little pink lines are unmistakable.

this is the end. I'm starting a sequel right after I post this.  
Review and stuff. I know this wasn't really a good ending but oh well.  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything  
-KatPeeta22


End file.
